Fragments
by raileht
Summary: It's all just fun and games until someone gets hurt and the same rings true with Dr. Megan Hunt when she finds herself face to face with Wilson Polley. 220 Mind Games - reimagined
1. Chapter 1

**Fragments**  
by: raileht

**Summary: **It's all just fun and games until someone gets hurt and the same rings true with Dr. Megan Hunt when she finds herself face to face with Wilson Polley. (Ep. 220 Mind Games - reimagined)

**Disclaimer:** The ones you don't know are mine, the ones you do aren't.  
**Rating:** T, to be safe  
**Spoilers/Timeline:** I loved the finale but there was something buzzing around my head and I had to get it out. Also, this is my first ever attempt at a _Body of Proof_ story so I can't and won't make promises.

**Warning: **A lot more violent than the one in the finale, _Mind Games_ and I changed a lot of things so if you have questions, feel free to ask. I am a huge fan of basdass Dr. Megan Hunt so…well, that's how I'm writing her. (Also, I must confess I am suffering serious Dana Delany fever here so writing this was inevitable, I think. Took three hours of my butt never leaving the chair)

**Warning #2: **_**I always try as much as possible to get existing settings of the show as accurate as I can get it, but honestly, I have not been able to fully make sense of the floor plan of the Philly CME offices so I'm going with the flow here, alright? That said, any error is all mine and I apologize ahead. Also, this is not was not beta'd and I do not have a beta.**_

Last, I'm not sure if this should continue so feedback would be incredibly lovely and thank you for reading!

-o0o0o0o0o-

* * *

"_Speak to me of the dark gifts, I use them. I'm Gentleman Death in silk and lace, come to put out the candles."_  
― _Anne Rice, The Vampire Lestat_

* * *

**CHAPTER ONE  
**

"_I agree. I don't want it to end."_

She didn't know what made her look, maybe it was just basic human behavior to look around without actually thinking while on the phone, a kind of move that didn't need to be though of to happen. Then again, she knew who she was talking to and knew just how devious the bastard was so maybe it was instinct that made her look behind her and catch him just as he emerged from the corner like a killer from one of those cheesy slasher movies her daughter braved watching with her.

In those movies, the villain always appeared behind the girl—because it usually was a girl—who's on the phone. Like a dark shadow, a presence unexpected usually comes out as if from nowhere and from then on, as the script goes, it goes straight downhill.

So naturally, like life imitating some seriously crappy art, that's exactly what happened.

Megan Hunt dropped the phone, barely noticing the picture frame with the photo of her daughter and herself getting knocked over and headed straight for the door. That was instinct too, running to the first source of entry and secured it locked even though she was in an office made of glass—maybe she should talk to her boss about that later.

She ran away from the door but kept her eye on him. He's not dumb, he can easily break through and they both know it and judging from the direction he had taken a he veered away from the door and moved towards a chair in no particular hurry, she'd guessed his route easily. It's not rocket science when your prey is just behind a plate-glass wall.

Wilson Polley could take her down easily, she knew it without a doubt, but she still had her mind, her best weapon, and she was going to use it. He could break her neck with his bare hands but she was going to make damn sure she was going to make him work for it.

On her way back to the phone, she grabbed the heavy paperweight she kept on her glass table, clutching it tightly with one hand. She grabbed the receiver she'd dropped only moments before and began to dial only to be distracted by a looming figure creeping in the corner of her eye.

Polley had indeed grabbed a chair and was heading towards her with it, ready to launch it at the wall of glass. She cursed, her shaking finger hitting buttons only to be halted once more, this time by a deafening crash and before she knew it, glass was flying everywhere.

Megan had known it was coming but it still took her by surprise and she dropped the phone once more, slipping as she stumbled back away from the crash, turning her face away from the flying shards and the wreckage. In the process, she knocked over her purse, the picture frame and a few other items on her table as she moved to get away. She heard the crash as Wilson Polley threw aside the chair he had used and before she knew it, he was there, looming over her menacingly.

"Good evening, Dr. Hunt."

When Polley made a move to grab her, Megan scurried back, slipping in the process but he was on her in an instant, his large hand capturing her left wrist with a vice like grip. She gasped, breathing raggedly and her heart leaping to her throat as if trying to punch its way out of her body and she spat wildly at him, "Get away from me!"

He didn't listen though and pulled again. She struggled, trying to find something to grab on to and lucked out when she felt her hand close on a familiar texture. Desperately, she clutched the large paperweight she'd taken with her and held on.

Rounding on Polley, Megan gritted her teeth as she launched it straight at the bastard.

The heavy improvised projectile flew straight at his head and he doubled over, his hand flying to his temple with a surprised grunt followed by a curse. Megan moved, but not before realizing she had knocked her phone out of her purse. A whisper of thanks slipped from her mind as she grabbed it, scrambling to her feet and simply _ran_.

Polley had blocked her way to the door she had locked, leaving only the devastation he had created out of her office on her way out. But as Megan passed through the hole, her high heels slipped on some of the scattered shards and she reached out blindly, clutching the window frame. She cried out as she felt the pieces of glass pierce her palm.

Behind her, Polley had gotten his bearings back and made a grab for her again, taking a fistful of the ends of her hair and pulled hard. Megan cried out, her head jerking back and she almost slipped again.

She took advantage of the momentum and instead spun around, ignoring the way the movement seemed to tear her hair straight from her scalp and pushed hard. He didn't let go so with a grunt, she dug the back of one heel into his foot, causing him to release her. She didn't hesitate, taking off as fast as her feet would allow.

Behind her, she heard Polley laugh, "Run, Dr. Hunt! Run because when I catch you, you _will_ pay for that!"

Megan didn't stop to hear if he was going to tell her just exactly _how_ he was going to make her pay, running down the hall just as he stumbled after her, blocking the way to the elevators and the stairs. She knew the place far better than he did and she kept that in mind, mapping out the office she had spent the better part of the last few years working in and tried to quickly decide the best route to take.

Down the hall were the rooms allocated for autopsies. Those were the suites she was more familiar and they held the instruments that could work better as weapons compared to an unassuming paperweight. She knew where they were stored and left for the night and if she could only get to them, then she might find something to defend herself against the madman chasing after her.

In the back of her mind, she only hoped she could hold Polley off long enough to make it through the service elevator used for transporting bodies in and out of the building. With a bit of luck, that could serve as a way out or at least, find shelter although without her keys, she knew getting to her car was out of the options available to her.

She took solace that there was an active set of security in the building and it was never really empty during the night. Maybe a guard or even a janitor—anyone would be there who could help Megan. He was gaining on her fast, if his thundering footfalls behind her were any indication.

At the moment though, the immediate goal was to put as much space between her and Polley as possible and Megan just ran, straight down the hall. The lights there were off, though it wasn't completely dark and she slipped into the Autopsy Suite, the one right after the area where Trace Analysis did their work. She slipped right through the open door, ducking behind a solid opaque wall and tried her best not to breathe too loudly. Her heart was in her throat and her head felt light from the running and insufficient oxygen.

The shaking of her body wasn't helping either as adrenaline ran rapidly through her system, her knees shaking as she steadied herself whilst she crouched steadily as she could. She kept her ears out for Polley above the thunderous beats of her heart smashing its way through her body.

"Dr. Hunt," she heard him call out to her in an eerie melodious tone, "Come out and play…I promise I'll be gentle. We were having such a lovely _honest_ conversation…I would hate to have it end there."

Megan's chin began to quiver and she stopped herself, placing her hand over her mouth, not noticing her own blood smearing against her skin. Her heart continued to threaten to jump right out of her mouth and she lifted her phone, hunching right over it as she let it light up and began to try and dial again. She breathed through her nose, sinking her upper teeth onto her bottom lip, biting hard as her thumb trembled violently over the surface of her phone, almost making it impossible to operate the piece of technology without error.

She blinked away the tears that stung her eyes and tried not to panic as her shaking had caused her to falter in using her phone and instead, it brought her right to the call history. The most recent call was at the top of the list and with a desperate whimper nearly escaping her lips which she smothered with her hand, she pressed call.

Megan waited and she had been so desperate to have the call connect, she had forgotten to keep a look out—a grievous mistake, it turned out as somehow, there was a presence right behind her from where she had positioned herself by the doors.

"Hello there," Polley said cheerfully and Megan's head shot up, eyes wide and felt rather than saw something colliding hard against her cheek—the back of Polley's hand.

The doctor fell with a painful thud, her body colliding against the cold floor sideways with the side of her face slamming hard on the landing. Her cheeks burned and her head began to swim, the impact mixed with adrenaline leaving her momentarily stunned. A foot away from her, her phone skittered along face down, halting just far enough to Polley to kneel down and grab it.

"Now who do we—oh! Dr. Kate Murphy? Well, we'll just have to let that one go now, won't we?" Polley crooned, nudging Megan onto her back, her eyes nearly rolling to the back of her head as she tried to focus her vision. He hung up for her, cutting off the call just as it connected and slipped it into his pocket. "This is, I'm afraid, a private party and you're the honored guest. Can't have the good woman spoiling our fun, right, Dr. Hunt?"

Megan got her first opportunity to look at Polley's face and see the damage she had inflicted on him during her break for freedom. His right temple was an angry shade of red with blood smeared from when he had most likely wiped off and what blood was left on the wound was already clotting. A few drops mingled with his sweat, running into a diluted mix on the top side of his face.

To her dismay, that was all that was visible in the damage she caused. She was sure she could possibly have nearly broken a toe or two, but he'd caught up to her anyway. Her mind screamed as it swam, trying hard to keep focus and realized she must have hit her head harder than she'd originally assessed. The side of her face burned and throbbed as she blinked wordlessly at the man so intent to have her in his mercy.

"You have been very difficult, doctor," Polley said, shaking his head at her and waved a finger in her face as if she was a child in need of serious chastising. "I was going to be gracious, but seeing as you've made it _impossible _to do so, I'm afraid this long goodbye is going to be a lot less pleasant than I'd planned."

"You're not getting away with this," Megan managed to find her voice, sounding a lot braver than she felt while Wilson Polley looming over her like a monster from a dream. "People know where I am…they're going to be here soon."

"Yes, but the question is _when?_" Polley chuckled, shaking his head at her, "I know good ole' Detective Morris and your band of merry men are at a party for that lovely pregnant wife of his…now, I don't know about you but I'm pretty sure things are swinging there and I really do think, dear doctor, that you and I have enough time to savor this one last moment…_together_."

Even while she was at an obvious disadvantage, Megan still found it in herself to be defiant, despite the fear that steadily coursed through her veins. She wasn't giving up but she still had the presence of mind to realize she could be dead already, lying there underneath the madman.

But even with that finality hanging over her head, she fund she couldn't just leave it there and give up. It wasn't over until she took her last breath and that meant she was going to fight him every step of the way because there was no way in hell she was going to give him the satisfaction of having her cower in his presence—she wasn't going to just hand him that kind of power, not if she could help it.

"I'm not gonna beg," she snarled as viciously as she could.

Despite the vitriol Megan directed at him, it didn't seem to affect Polley in any way, chuckling as if he'd just heard an amusing anecdote then nodded before tilting his head sideways as he looked down on her, "Oh, I know you enough by now not to expect that from you…not that it matters," he grabbed her by the upper arms, digging his fingers painfully into her skin, pulling her up sharply and slammed her back against the wall.

Pain shot up and down her back and she wasn't able to suppress the cry that escaped her lips, her head colliding harshly with the wall as Polley pinned her easily. A groan escaped her lips, her head lolling to the side only to have it snap back into place with the help of his hand gabbing her chin, this time his fingers digging into her jaw like was trying to crush it with his hand.

"From now on, I'll be doing all the talking," Polley smiled and while it may be the most cheerful one he could muster, it just came across as sinister to Megan who, even with the continued throbbing of her head, could still see the look clearly displayed on his face, "Maybe no one's ever told you, but you talk too much…"

He tightened his grip on her face and Megan winced, trying to move her head but he kept his hold strong.

"So, we're going to have to make some…_adjustments_," there was that smile again, this time it was matched with a glint in his eye she'd yet to see until now. It scared her, recognizing the maliciousness in his dark eyes for what it was, knowing it could mean nothing good for her, "But for that, you're going to have to take a little nap, alright, doc? Nighty-night."

Before Megan could figure out what that meant, Wilson Polley pulled his other arm back before slamming his fist right in her face.

She was out before her brain could register the pain that came with the blow.

-o0o-

"I thought you guys said Megan was on her way out."

Dr. Kate Murphy and Peter Dunlop turned towards the very pregnant wife of Detective Bud Morris, who was—for the lack of a better word—waddling her way towards them. Her husband followed close behind, perfecting his very own imitation of a large protective bear hovering over his mate. Not too far away, Detective Samantha Baker looked up from the conversation she was having with one of the guests.

"She was," Kate replied, checking her watch and glancing at Peter who didn't look as if he had an answer himself. She wasn't surprised, having caught the tail-end of his last conversation with his partner. She hadn't bothered butting into that one, knowing the two could have their tiffs at times, considering Peter was partnered with her most troublesome employee.

There were only two ways it could go—they would patch things up eventually, which they'd done before already, or Kate would have to do something about it if it became a problem. She was giving them time to sort it out, what they did was their business. Besides, the last thing she wanted was to give another reason for her sometimes tumultuous relationship with Megan to get muddled again. That was one boat Kate wasn't really all that eager to rock all too soon once more if she could help it.

Peter had things to deal with and Megan still had a lot of things to learn that could not be found in her medical texts or anything inside an evidence bag. So far, they hadn't killed each other—which was not hard to imagine doing if one was saddled with the brilliant ex-neurosurgeon-turned-Medical-Examiner—so their little fights were fine with Kate, as long as it was kept out of work.

"Well, where is she? Shouldn't she be here by now?" Jeannie Morris asked with one hand on her ever expanding belly, the other on her husband's chest. She was very much looking forward to seeing the doctor once again, not only because she'd been the one to help her detect her having gestational diabetes, but also because for a while, Megan Hunt had been quite the curiosity.

Apart from her mother, Jeannie had never quite seen anyone get under her husband's skin like that and it was different too because while Bud grumbled about his mother-in-law, he grumbled about the once elusive Dr. Hunt in a way that told his wife there _was_ grudging respect there, _despite_ the fact that there were day he could clobber the woman himself. It had amused Jeannie and fascinated her at the same time because as much as a rock as her husband could be, he couldn't seem to find some way of just muscling himself through the woman the way he normally would with anyone else.

Besides, Jeannie did like Megan very much. She hadn't met the woman Bud had talked about, she had met a Megan Hunt that was nice, gentle and caring. Why else would a complete stranger just help her out of the blue? She knew, like her often crabby husband, Megan was similar to him as well—both of them had a rough exterior that just covered this core where another part of them was hidden and protected from the world, the soft, caring, _warm_ part of them very few people were allowed to see.

Not that she would ever tell her husband or the doctor about these thoughts. No, these were Jeannie's alone because she knew, like Bud, Megan would either laugh it off or just outright tell her to have her head checked. Both were stubborn mules, she knew and she knew a thing or two about those.

"It's, oh," Kate took out her phone, impeccably groomed eyebrows shooting up, "A missed call…from Megan?"

"Did she leave a message?" Jeannie asked, hopeful.

The blonde Chief Medical Examiner frowned, "No, nothing. Maybe she was just calling to tell us she's going to be late."

"Well, call her back and tell her to get her butt here," Bud said in an unusually cheerful mood which was not surprising, considering this was a party to celebrate his growing family. "She's missing out."

"Maybe she just got held up," Kate said as she pressed her phone to her ear, glancing at Peter and gave him a knowing look, "You know Megan."

Peter nodded simply, sipping his drink and checked his own watch. It was his turn to raise his eyebrows—he hadn't realized they'd been there a while. He knew Megan had her moments, but even for her _this_ was unusually late. She knew Jeannie was looking forward to seeing her and Peter knew despite her somewhat awkward anti-social tendencies, Megan wouldn't just simply let Jeannie down because even without saying, he knew she liked the detective's wife.

"Voicemail," Kate frowned, pausing before speaking into her phone, "Hey, Megan, where are you? You're missing out on a party and there's a very pregnant Mama here who'd like to see you. Hurry up or call me back, alright? It's Kate."

"_It's Kate_?" Bud echoed with a grin, "Like she wouldn't know?"

"Just making sure," the blonde made a face, "You're lucky Jeannie's around, I'd kick your butt, Bud."

"Do I hear a throwdown?" Dr. Ethan Gross piped up, nudging his way through a clump of baby pink and blue balloons, cupcake in hand and looking very much into the celebration. Behind him, Dr. Curtis Brumfield followed along with his own pastry confection.

"My husband, your boss," Jeannie replied with a grin, "My money's on Dr. Murphy."

"Hey! Husband in the room?" Bud, playing along as he pretended to be affronted.

Jeannie smiled at Kate, "Bud doesn't like to hit girls."

Everyone laughed and Bud simply said, "That's why I have Sam for my partner. She hits them for me."

"Yeah, well, I'm not about to hit the doc for you so you're on your own on this one," Sam piped up, drink in hand and a grin.

"Gee, thanks," Bud said sourly as they laughed again.

"Hey, is Dr. Hunt here yet?" Ethan asked, finishing off his cupcake, "She's got to try these babies!"

"Didn't yo' mama teach you how to eat, you bobblehead?" Curtis asked, nudging the younger man on the shoulder and tossed a pastel colored paper napkin at him. "You got food on yo' face!"

"Oh, sorry," Ethan said sheepishly, wiping his face off and looked expectantly at everyone. "So?"

"She called me but I missed it," Kate explained, "We left her a message…she should be here soon."

Ethan frowned, "She should have been here by now. Where could she be…? I mean, didn't we leave the office, like, an hour ago or something? She's really late."

"It's been more than an hour," Curtis said, "We got here practically the same time."

"When was the last time anyone spoke to the doc anyway?" Sam asked, frowning now. The curiosity of the whereabouts of the Medical Examiner was slowly affecting the jovial mood of the celebration.

Peter looked at his watch again, "Yeah…we probably should call the office. Maybe she got held up?"

"What are the chances there's a case…?" Jeannie asked.

"Nu-uh, we woulda been notified," Curtis answered.

Kate nodded, "Or at least Peter would know…Megan would call him if something came in."

"Bud?" Jeannie turned towards her husband who was surveying the group from behind her, a more serious look on his face now. "What's going on?"

He saw the look on his wife's face then shook his head, "Could someone please just call the woman? Call until she picks up—she's bound to! That damned phone of hers I always attached to her hip."

Kate and Ethan took their phones out as well while the two detectives shared a look. No one was saying it yet, but things didn't quite feel so festive anymore. Something had changed and it wasn't just because the doctor was unusually out of reach—something just didn't feel _right_. Years of experience in their profession had made sure their instincts and skills were honed to feel the slightest of shifts and they could definitely feel one there.

Ethan's face fell as his eyes grew wide, "Guys…?"

They all turned towards him and he was faced with expectant faces now. This time, even the young intern didn't seem all that into the idea of partying now or having more cupcakes.

"What if something's happened to Dr. Hunt?"

-o0o-

"Yoo…hoo…"

Someone was poking her and it was annoying.

"Yoohoo…"

Megan felt her head throbbing in the midst of trying to figure out who was poking her. Who would be dumb enough to? And why did her head hurt like a week's worth of hangover? Bleary eyed, she came to, blinking to let her eyes adjust to the sudden light. _Light_. Was it morning? A hangover then?

"…wake up, Sunshine," said a voice that her memory immediately pulled.

Her eyes shot open, despite her fact her senses hadn't fully caught on yet though it did not take long because suddenly it all came back—Polley, her office, her cellphone sliding across the floor. Trying to call Kate—anyone—for help. It hit her like a freight train and she might as well have, judging from the amount of pain that radiated from her head and other parts of her body.

"Shit," she almost said but found she couldn't really do so with her mouth taped. Her body seized up, tensing when she found her hands bound and folded to her chest a she lay on her side. Taped too, just like her ankles and when she felt the cold on her skin, she knew he had taken her shoes as well.

Unable to fight instinct, Megan Hunt began to struggle against the bonds keeping her immobile, her back arching, her chest heaving with a sudden inhale and the coolness seemed to pierce right through her skin. What the hell had the son of a bitch done to her? Her eyes were as wide as they could go as simultaneously her mouth tried to fight against the adhesive.

"Shh, shh…" his hand landed on the side of her neck and she stilled at his touch. He moved her hair away, pushing pieces of it off her eyes and helped clear her vision to show her just exactly where they were.

It wasn't hard to figure out, not when she knew the room as well as she did the back of her hand. They were still in the autopsy suite. Immediately, Megan knew why she felt so cold, why it seemed to spear its way right into her bones—it wasn't shock or anything Polley had done to her, at least, not yet. It was much worse.

Wilson Polley had laid down Megan Hunt on one of the suite's autopsy tables—the same tables she herself had used to cut open countless numbers of bodies in the span of her career as a Medical Examiner.

"Welcome back to the land of the living, Dr. Hunt," Polley said, "Just in time to join in on the fun."

The clattering of metal and a sound of wheels turning caught her attention and despite her weakness and current position, Megan tried to look as to where the noise was coming from. She turned her head every which way until she felt herself getting a little dizzy. She didn't stop though and just as the sound stopped, she found herself faced with an all too familiar tray filled with all sorts of very familiar things.

"I hope you don't mind," Polley crooned with a grin, pushing her hair back further and waved something in front of her, "I thought I'd borrow some of your toys, seeing as you took mine?"

Megan's eyes widened when she recognized it was a scalpel pinched delicately between Polley's fingers.

And the demented smile on his face was enough to tell her exactly why he decided to borrow her 'toys'.

-o0o-

"Ethan! What have you been smokin', knucklehead?"

"What?" the young intern rounded on his boss's—sort of—boss, "She hasn't called and she would have picked up when we called her. She hasn't. Not me or Kate. It's weird."

"Now, let's not jump into—"

"It's possible!" Ethan insisted, not letting Kate finish when she'd begun to speak and turned to Peter, Bud and Sam—the people he counted on most to see his point of view. They were cops, "Right? I mean, Polley is still out there, isn't he? What if he came after her?"

"Who's Polley? What are you talking about?" Jeannie asked, turning to her husband and his partner, only to have him gently rub her shoulder soothingly. He wanted to calm her down, knowing she could not afford the stress, not that either of them could help it, not when things were getting tense by the minute.

"The Marshalls had him en route to the Canadian—" Sam began, but the usually awkward doctor seemed to be on some kind of roll.

"They _tracked_ the GPS of _a_ cellphone to the Canadian border," Ethan pointed out, "That doesn't prove anything except a phone was headed that way." He looked at Bud and Same solemnly, "What are the chances he planted that phone on someone? Or, you know…this guy is smart and he specifically taunted Dr. Hunt…what if he came back for her? He _targeted_ her! He threatened Lacey!"

"Oh, my god," Jeannie gasped from beside Bud who could barely suppress the tenseness and stress from appearing on his face. It wasn't just his desire to keep his wife calm that was making him react despite his sudden reticence—the nagging feeling was still there and a part of him knew he'd heard enough to consider that maybe the intern might have a point.

"Ethan…" Kate began slowly, only to stop as well, turning towards the two detectives, as if they could handle the young doctor better than she could.

"If that's not the case, then where is she?" he pulled out his phone, calling again and this time, put it on speaker. The doctor's voice broke through the speakers clearly, _"You've reached Dr. Megan Hunt. Leave a—" _He hung up, giving them all a look as if that solidified everything, "See? She would have picked up."

"She could be with Lacey right now," Peter offered but Ethan shook his head in an obvious rejection.

"Dr. Hunt is a pain in the ass, but she woulda called," Curtis said, "Or answered. It's too early to expect her to be sleepin', even with Lacey in the house."

"Bud, I'm worried," Jeannie said, her eyes wide as she turned fully towards him. "Ethan might be right…what if something happened?"

"We can't let our imaginations run ahead of us," Bud shook his head, "She could be on her way _this very moment_…maybe she's driving, won't pick up? Maybe she dropped by somewhere…doesn't she have a boyfriend or something?"

"He's out of town," Peter answered, "At least, last I heard."

"Bud, please," Jeannie said and it didn't take long before everyone saw the man nod slowly, turning to his partner, Bud began, "Sam, could you—?"

"On it," she nodded, putting aside her glass and allowed a ghost of a smirk to appear on her face. "I'll drag her butt in here and we can all kick her ass for makin' us worry, alright?"

"Sounds too good to pass up," Curtis quipped. "I'm in."

Jeannie smiled, "Thank you."

"I'll come with you," Peter said, his eyes meeting Kate who nodded at him. They rode there together using her car and she was the only one aware of what went down between partners.

"Good, you shoot her if she tries to run," Sam joked in an effort to lighten the mood. "She's your partner so it won't count."

"Call us when you find her," Kate said, placing a calming hand on Jeannie's arm and rubbed gently, giving her a gentle reassuring smile.

After the two had gone, Kate and Curtis, minus Bud and Jeannie who had gone on to get the pregnant woman a drink to calm her, turned to Ethan. When usually he would have seemed contrite, he wasn't then, shrugging as he simply said, "Better safe than sorry."

"If you and Dr. Hunt worried that pregnant woman for nothin'," Curtis snorted, "I ain't gonn' help yo' scrawny ass when that bear of a man pounces on you for gettin' his wife worked up."

Ethan shrugged, "I just wanna make sure she's okay…I mean, when has she not picked up her phone? Well, except for when it broke once."

"Mhm," Curtis simply gave a derisive hum as he walked off.

Ethan turned to Kate, "You really think nothing's wrong?"

The Chief managed a smile even though there was something in her eyes that didn't quite match her expression, "I'm sure she's okay."

He watched her walk off, following the direction to where the Morrises had headed and Ethan simply watched them go. The party was still in full-swing, the other guests seemingly unaware of the discussion that had just taken place. Ethan stood there, surrounded by pink and blue balloons and stared at the doors from where Sam and Peter had exited.

Something really just didn't feel right and somewhere in his stomach, Ethan just felt the oddest sensations. It was unpleasant and despite his insistence, he hoped that his imagination was really just getting away from him. He hoped Dr. Hunt would return soon, laughing with Sam and Peter about his skittishness. He would prefer she laugh at him and tease him, as opposed to the thoughts that continued to swirl about in his mind.

Because the truth was, Ethan genuinely liked Megan Hunt and he would honestly hate it if anything were ever to happen to her. She was more than just a mentor to him—Megan understood him in a way that very few others could and even though she might deny it, he considered her to be one of his true friends.

Sticking his hands in his pockets, the curly haired doctor turned away from the door, mumbling quietly, "I hope you're right, Dr. Murphy…I really hope you're right."

Never in his life had Ethan Gross hoped so badly he was wrong.

-o0o-

"Now, here's the deal, Dr. Hunt."

Megan looked up, wide-eyed, as Wilson Polley loomed over her again. He had turned on the overhead light and seemed overly fond of the No. 10 surgical blade he managed to find. It was the same one she used to make the Y incision and she didn't even want to imagine what the sick bastard had in mind for her.

She had to get out, if not for herself, then for her daughter.

Lacey.

The thought of Lacey, the most important thing in her life, her whole world, was enough to summon tears to gather in her eyes and cause her already tense throat to feel even tighter. After having just gotten her back and reconnecting, Megan could not imagine losing her again. There was still so much left to know, to say and _still _so much lost time to make up for, she couldn't imagine just leaving her all over again. She wasn't ready to go, she was so far from ready.

She was thankful Polley was too busy playing his mind games to notice the shift in her emotions. Self-pity and giving up were two things she didn't need so she mustered up the courage to swallow the lump in her throat and got her mind working. She had time. Polley was like a fat cat playing with his prey and the more he kept at it, the more time she had. She just needed to use her head.

"…you be nice to me and _I_ will be nice to you," he said, "I'm still curious as to where you have my toy…you must have it here somewhere?"

Megan simply stared at him, breathing through her nose. Her head still hurt and she could feel practically her whole face throbbing though she guessed the cold from both the room and the table was keeping the complete effect of the blows she'd received at bay. Sometimes her vision would swim but it happened in intervals. She was relatively in one piece—for now—she still had a chance.

"I'll return yours, if you give me mine," he offered then waited. When nothing came and she simply lay there, he shrugged and moved the overhead light, this time focusing it on her torso, "Alright then. I can make do."

He put the blade aside then proceeded to grab her shoulder. Megan flinched at first, then shrugged his hold off as hard as she could. He merely chuckled and grabbed her again, this time hard and rough with both hands, moving her protesting body until she was on her back yet again. She continued to fight him, shoving him as much as she could with her bound wrists.

She must have been pushing his patience enough when suddenly he stopped, raising his hand then struck her again, much like before. Her head snapped to the side and he wrapped his hand around her neck, holding her in place while the other one reached for something.

Megan only stopped fighting when her eyes caught the distinct glint of light bouncing off a shiny surface. It was followed by Polley's hand stopping at her neck and a slight sting of pain, right on her jugular where he pressed the hard enough to break the skin and draw blood.

"I can end this here right now, if you want," he snarled, the sinister playfulness gone as he glared down on her. "Give me a reason. Do it."

She stopped struggling, her wrists resting on her chest and her legs went still, resting awkwardly sideways. Megan met his eyes, her hazel orbs unflinchingly challenging his despite the presence of fear. Even under the knife, she defied him within an inch from death.

Polley held her gaze for a moment before grinning again, "Now, see, this is why I like you, why you were worth all the trouble."

He moved the blade from her skin, waving it at her where she could catch a glimpse of her own blood, as if she needed proof of what he had done. To her surprise, he tossed it aside, letting it clatter onto the floor thoughtlessly before turning away from her again.

"You're different," he said over his shoulder, confident she wasn't going to move. "Somehow, I knew you weren't going to beg or plead or bargain the way those other _stupid_ ones did…oh, you should have heard them…the tears, the apologies, the endless offerings of money, of things, of _themselves_."

He laughed, "They begged, oh, how they begged…quaking in fear, crying as if it would make a difference. Each and every one of them too dumb to realize…it was already over."

Polley turned to Megan, smiling at her, "But you, Dr. Hunt…you're different. I knew you would be." He chuckled, "You…are going to be my greatest work."

Megan began to breathe heavier through her nose, her chest heaving and her body nearly cramping with the urge to curl up in herself, her mind working into overdrive trying to find any way she could protect herself.

"I have to confess," he said after a beat and he raised his arm once more. Megan flinched, her eyes closing as her body had seemed to have ingrained in her sensory memory that whenever he moved that way, pain followed. He had conditioned her with only a few blows and that alone was enough to spurn her desire not to give up.

He noticed and simply laughed, "Oh, don't worry, I'm being nice now. There really shouldn't be any need for such unpleasantness…in fact I am going to tell you the truth. No need to shy away from me. I have…a confession."

Polley raised his hand once more then held something against the light.

Fighting against the glare and the swimming of her head, Megan squinted until she recognized what Wilson Polley was so eager to show her

"I found this in the lab," Polley grinned, "Wait, don't tell me…you left it there, didn't you? Just for me? You know how I _loved _this. I mean, you examined it, didn't you? It's a beauty, isn't it? You have _no_ idea how much time and money it cost to find the perfect one…and it is: perfect."

He let the tip of the hook press against her cheek, tracing the edges of the steadily forming bruise under her left eye from where he had knocked her out cold. She flinched, moving away from the sharp tool only to have him press on, the very tip of the curved hook scratching almost painfully against her skin.

"I was just testing you, to see if you'd help out an old friend," he shrugged, "But no need to dwell on that. You've got your toys, I've got mine."

Something began to buzz and Polley stopped, pulling out her phone from his pocket, "Well, aren't you just Miss Popular tonight? So many calls, so many messages…by the way, Dr. Murphy says call her back. But we're busy so we cannot afford—oh, look, a message from Peter."

He grinned at her, "He says: 'Where are U? Everyone's getting worried. Call back.' Aww, ain't that sweet? Oh, well, busy bees need to work, work, work!" He sighed, "Since you're a bit tied up, I'll let him know you…got held up somewhere and you'll see him soon."

Polley typed the message, reading his work for a moment before pressing send. He smiled at Megan, "There. That should buy us some time, right, doc?"

Without another word, he launched the phone straight across the room and she heard it smash against a wall and shatter, the pieces clattering as it met the ground. Try as she might, she couldn't help the pang of fear as that act only drove the feeling of hopelessness that threatened to overtake her mind then.

"I guess that's enough dilly-dallying for me," Polley said simply then suddenly, he moved so fast Megan hadn't been able to see where he was going until he felt him grab a fistful of hair from the back of her head, lifting her head up and painfully stretching her neck as he pulled her hard enough to lift the upper half of her torso off the table.

Megan whimpered, unable to help herself as her abdominal muscles folded awkwardly, nearly cramping as he continued to put the strain on her body. Mercilessly, he tilted her head back by her hair, nearly ripping it clear from the roots, leaving her body shaking as she tried to hold herself up. She felt as if her neck was going to snap clean off her body and her legs tensed, knees folding as her feet tried to support her body vainly, the rest of her body contorting to support the unnatural position with little success.

"Three years," Polley snarled, bringing his face so close to hers, she could see the sweat beading on his forehead and his cheeks. He was hot, heat seemingly pushing through his pores and his eyes bulged as they bore into hers, "Three years I have dreamt of _ripping_ out that beautiful brain of yours. Now, here we are and just because you are _so special_, I am going to do this while you're awake so you can see just how _special_ you are to me."

He pulled harder on her hair but this time, the whimpers that were left muffled under the tape was not from that but rather was caused by the hook he was intently moving towards her left nostril. Megan began to move then, trying to dislodge her head from his hand.

The hook seemed larger than it actually was, even from the awkward tilt of her head. Vainly, Megan's bound legs began to kick, her body straining even more to fight her captor.

But Polley held on, his hands curling impossibly tighter on her scalp and had she had the frame of mind, she would have felt the sensation that would have made her think she was bleeding from the roots of her hair.

Megan whimpered, moving her head but it only caused her more pain from her scalp to her neck. She moved her arms but not hard enough to dislodge Polley off of her. The hook was getting closer to her nose, she could practically feel the molded tip. She began to panic and animal instincts took over—fight, flight or die.

Blindly, she kicked her legs, hitting Polley and making him stumble although it wasn't enough to make him slip and let her go. There was a loud clanging sound and Polley stopped, glancing at the tray he had knocked over, sending the contents all over the floor. Megan recognized her own medical tools hitting the ground—she's heard that enough times both from her life as a neurosurgeon and a medical examiner from clumsy nurses and interns to know.

It turned out the distraction was enough for Megan, thinking fast and decided to gamble on her chances once more, curling both hands into tight fists and jabbed upwards. She hit the hand holding the ancient tool, knocking it clean from his hands, sending it clattering on the tile floors. Megan jabbed again, catching him on the chin and Polley let out a yelp.

He slipped, arms flailing before falling on a heap on the side of the table, disappearing from her view with a thump. Megan's hands hurt like hell, but she didn't let that stop her, rolling off the table and landing a painfully on the other side of the table. She ripped the tape from her mouth, crying out from the sting and began to frantically chew at the ones around her wrist. At the same time, she tried to move her ankles to try and slip them off, if not worry the material enough to loosen somehow.

Biting through the damned material was taking longer than she expected and Megan had to think of another way to free herself. She couldn't hear movement from Polley's side but she wouldn't put it past him getting up again. She looked around, frantic, until she found her salvation—

A scalpel, shiny and glinting from the light like a small beacon of hope.

Megan made a grab for it, fingers closing in on the handle and manipulated it into position with her fingers and teeth then started slashing at the duct tape around her ankles. Her body hurt in so many places, but she didn't let anything stop her. The sharp blade slipped once and cut through her pant leg and pierced her skin at some point, but she merely grit her teeth and kept going.

She didn't even dare look to where Polley might be.

With only the barest threads left from the fibrous threads of the tape, Megan slashed on. She almost finished until she felt a hand grab around her throat and it maneuvered into a chokehold. She gasped, feeling Polley tighten his arm around her neck, not sure whether he aimed to force her into unconsciousness or just finish her off then with a snap.

She didn't wait to find out and instead, twisted her body as hard as she could, both hands clutching the blade and shoved it into any part of him she could reach behind her.

The sharp blade slipped as it ripped through his skin then the bone on his shin and when Megan pushed again, it dug into his calf. Polley screamed, throwing her forward with a vicious shove and she let the momentum carry her. Her bound hands barely cushioned the impact, but she had cut through the bindings around her ankles to rip the last few threads apart with a hard kick and she pushed her body up and began to run once more.

Disoriented, she retraced her steps without thinking, unable to decide on a specific goal other than to get as far away from her attacker as she could.

But Polley was close and she could hear him screaming, cursing and yelling her name. She'd gotten him so incredibly man, she knew for sure the next time she let him catch her, she was as good as dead.

It was that thought that propelled her to go faster, running straight down the hall, barefoot and her head still swimming, still in so much pain.

But Megan was desperate to live, desperate not to have her life end that night.

She caught the lights from the main area of the floor where her office, Kate's and various other sections were still well lit. Megan almost sobbed with relief, running so fast, her heart was practically clawing its way out of her throat straight to her mouth. She'd been so intent on reaching her goal, she had forgotten the wall Polley had shattered his way into her office.

Barefoot and frantic, Megan ran straight at the fragments scattered on the tile floors. She cried out, slipping as she felt shards of glass pierce her feet, breaking skin and drawing blood with the combination of her weight and the momentum of the slip. She went on, trying hard not to step on any more with a sob after another, unable to help the pain. She didn't stop though, knowing she couldn't afford to.

She trailed blood and hobbled a little along but she was _so _close to the elevators and the stairway with Polley right behind her, the thought of having him catch her again helped her rally through the pain.

"You can run but I will get you! I'm going to rip your brain out and _then_ I'm going to go after that precious daughter of yours! You bet I will make sure she suffers MORE than you ever will and I'll tell her she has YOU to thank for it!"

Megan pushed herself, slipping from both the blood and the pain, dizzy from the rush of adrenaline, fear and her body nearly crumbling under the abuse. But just as she reached halfway across the space between the elevator and the waiting area, she felt a heavy weight fall on her.

She screamed as she fell down hard face first, her cheek hitting the floor that caused lights to explode behind her eyelids as Polley tackled her. He grabbed her by the hair again and she screamed once more as he lifted her by the back of her neck, slamming her into the nearest wall hard enough to knock the air right out of her lungs. Pain erupted from every point of her body, starting from her back, her eyes shooting open with the shock of the blow and her mouth opening with a strangled gasp.

Polley shove his arm right on her throat, savagely pressing hard while the other let go of her hair and pulled out the hook. He held her up, effectively immobilizing her, deflecting all of her futile attempts to kick and claw at him with her bound hands. He raised the hook merely inches away from her face.

"Fun and games are over," he snarled, whatever morbid joviality he had prior gone now as the storm that gathered in his eyes. He made sure she saw the weapon he so loved, "I'm going to jam this up your nose and pull your goddamned brain out.

"And you are going to be awake for it, you smug bitch," he growled at her, his face a mask of unbridled fury, moving the hook towards her once more, "I'm going to smash this straight through your brain—straight through that goddamned skull of yours and I'll ram this up so hard until this hook is standing on the top of your head like a goddamned unicorn! Think you your darling Lacey will _love_ that?"

Polley moved his hand back, the hook ready and pressed harder against Megan's neck with his forearm, hard enough for her to believe he was going to just snap it and kill her. He was cutting her airway off so completely, she couldn't even _attempt _to swallow. She struggled more though, her eyes nearly rolling to the back of her head as she began to choke.

Feebly, her bound hands tried to claw at his arm, tried to pull him off of her, her face burning as she struggled for the oxygen her body was going into overdrive demanding for. The taste of iron filled her mouth, blood from the inside of her cheek where her teeth had dug in when Polley tackled her.

The mixture of blood and saliva trickled over the corner of her mouth and chin. Megan let out a strangled sound, her hands slipping as it tried to grab on to his arm, the weakening blows she tried to inflict with her curled fists simply turning into a nuisance instead of a source of pain.

But it was all useless now because it seemed even Polley didn't realize just how hard he was pressing on her and showed no signs of letting go.

It didn't take long for Megan to reach the point where she couldn't struggle anymore, her pale hands falling limp as the edges of her vision began to grow fuzzy and dark. Wilson Polley just held her there though, a snarl displayed on his face. Her arms felt like lead, hanging limply in front of her and she couldn't even try to move her legs any longer. Her body spasmed and convulsed for oxygen, getting nothing with the way Megan was fading quickly.

Devastated, she knew the end was near for her.

And try as she might, she was losing out on this fight. It wasn't a matter of giving up, she knew, she just simply could not will herself any further. Polley had her in a death grip and it was only a matter of time before he finished what he had come to do. She barely had seconds, couldn't even imagine minutes anymore and even as her hands twitched and her finger curled and uncurled in the slightest of movements, there was little else that could be done. Polley had every edge on her, holding her up and gave no further chances of escape.

With that, a tear slipped down her reddening cheek as she let one last thought swim through her mind. They were words she was never going to be able to say again and she'd never been felt such regret in her life.

And it hurt worse than anything Polley could ever do to her.

"_I'm so sorry, Lacey…I tried. I tried so hard. I'm sorry. Lacey…Lacey. Lacey, I love you. Please don't ever forget. I love you, baby."_

At the very least, she took comfort that in the last moments of her life, she only saw her daughter's smiling face and clung to the memories of her, recalling every detail, replaying the sound of her laughter, her voice and remembering the times they spent together.

Lacey, her beautiful, wonderful Lacey. She was the one true good thing in her life and Megan was so very sorry to leave her. She hoped desperately to god Lacey would never doubt her mother had loved her so much more than she could ever imagine.

"_I love you, Lace. I love you."_

More tears came, but so did the sweet beckoning embrace of the eternal darkness and Megan Hunt allowed it to envelope her completely, finally.

Her eyes slipped closed and her body stilled, hanging limply against the wall at the hand of Wilson Polley.

Megan Hunt never heard the ding that followed mere seconds after she let the dark take her away.

-o0o-

"I spoke with the night shift guys, they haven't seen anyone."

"Not even Megan?"

Sam shook her head, "No. I had them check for her car and they said it's still there."

"Then she's still in the building," Peter concluded as they rode the elevator to the seventh floor.

"Looks like it," Sam said, scoffing slightly, "Can you believe she's still working?"

Peter couldn't help but smirk, "I can. It's Megan."

"Yeah, well, I'm me and I wanna get back to my future godchild's party," Sam checked her watch, "I'm going to haul her ass off her chair if I have to."

"I'll help," Peter grinned.

The elevator bell dinged, signaling they had arrived on their floor. Nothing seemed to show any signs for cause of alarm, both of them momentarily letting their worries ebb away. They stepped off, ready to toss their own two cents at the ME when they rag on her for being late only to be faced with a sight neither expected to encounter.

Wilson Polley was holding up the body of Dr. Megan Hunt against him like a human shield.

But even then, that wasn't the most alarming aspect of the situation. Rather, it was the sight of the limp and unmoving doctor in the grasp of the killer with his hand around her neck and a manic glint in his eyes. His other hand held the all too familiar tool against her body, the tip digging into the unconscious woman's side. It looked as if the madman was holding up the doctor, unconscious and completely unaware.

She was so still it wasn't hard to think that maybe they'd come too late.

-o0o-

"WILSON!"

Immediately, both Sam and Peter drew their weapons, aiming them right at Polley as he stood, hiding behind the petite woman in a slight crouch. The two didn't fire but they kept their guns trained on him. It was hard to take a shot, not without risking their colleague's life in the process but they kept their aim sharp, ready to take the first possible opportunity they could.

Sam kept her focus on Polley, waiting for him to mess up and get a possible angle on him. Peter, on the other hand, while he had his gun trained on the madman and ready to cover Sam, also tried to assess the status of the woman he'd been working with side by side for the better part of nearly a year.

Megan hung limply against Polley, her back pressed against his chest, her head kept upright by his obviously tight grip on her neck. There was no sign of life from her and from what Peter could see, she'd been through hell in the hands of the serial killer.

Her wrists were bound together in front of her with duct tape and, to his horror, he realized he could also see blood on her face. And it didn't end there—Peter could also detect bruises already forming on her temple, down to the side of her face and possibly under one eye. Her clothes were in disarray, her feet exposed and the shoes she adored so missing. Peter tried to remember what she'd been wearing that day and found he couldn't.

But that didn't matter because no matter how bad she looked, Peter's main hope was her being alive.

Yet she simply hung there, her feet—grotesquely stained with what looked like blood as well—dragged on the tile floors and she showed no signs of attempting to hold herself up. Her tangled and slightly matted red hair hung around her face like a curtain, head lolling forward slightly as her captor maintained his grip on her. If she was alive, Peter had no way of knowing for certain.

"Wilson, let the doctor go and put your hands up!" Sam demanded, "Let her go!"

"I let her go, you shoot me," Polley taunted, "Sorry, no dice. Pick another card…besides, she's quite a prize, you know. Smells lovely. And very nice to hold…all woman."

"Wilson Polley, I will NOT ask again!"

The fugitive simply laughed, "What are you going to do, Detective? Shoot her to get to me? Go ahead!" he moved even closer to Megan's body, nuzzling her behind the ear with a sinister grin, "But I can't promise my hand won't slip…then again, who knows if the doc's going to feel it or not? She could be dead, alive…who knows for sure?"

"Wilson, let Dr. Hunt go! I don't wanna shoot you!"

"Of course you do," Polley laughed then looked at Peter, "Especially him, right, Mr. Dunlop? I've got your partner and the longer you let me hold on to her, the less chance you see her open those lovely hazel eyes of hers." He smirked, "Yes, hazel…we've been spending the better part of the time getting better acquainted. So, really, this is entirely up to you because I've _had_ my time with her…what do you say?"

"You can't think we're letting you walk out of here," Peter reasoned, a feet or so behind Sam and it took everything in him not to rush the man. It was the sight of his partner hanging like a broken doll that stopped him from doing something stupid. "Not like this. Just let Megan go and we can—"

"What? Shoot me? Throw me back in that hole?" Polley smirked, "No deal. And you better keep those safeties on, officers, because believe me, if I go down…I'm taking her with me straight to hell."

"Polley, stop and think for two seconds—either you get killed or—"

"—I kill her," with a maniacal grin, "Well, it really doesn't take a genius, doesn't it?"

Peter watched the man, his eyes widening as he realized his intent. It was there, clear as day, in his glinting eyes. Megan could still be alive, but from the way Polley's eyes practically glimmered with glee, it was obvious her time was running out fast.

"Wilson," he tried again though instinct told him it was a waste of time, "Don't even think about—"

"Think about what? This?" with that, Polley moved the hand holding the embalming hook abruptly, viciously moving to plunge the sharp tool into Megan's body.

He had almost succeeded if not for the loud bang that came, the sound bouncing off the walls through the empty floor, jerking him backwards.

The bullet pierced straight through his clothes and pain shot right through his system, startling Polley enough to drop the hook. It clattered to the ground, slipping from his hand as his arm reacted to the bullet that mercilessly tore through his flesh. He screamed, stumbling back and let go of the unconscious woman, allowing both Sam and Peter to move in with the detective heading towards Polley to subdue him.

Peter went straight to Megan, unable to reach her in time to catch her and knelt down next to her. He didn't waste time and moved with his fingers on her neck, feeling for a pulse, barely noticing how her skin almost felt cool to the touch. Behind him, he didn't even notice Sam reading Polley his rights in between telling him to settle down, most likely not even bothering to be gentle with the injured criminal.

"Sam!" Peter called just as he shifted his partner's body onto her back. He pulled out a small Swiss knife from his pocket and ripped off the tape that held her wrists together then tilted her head to clear her airway. He bent down, placing his ear close to her mouth and cursed when he couldn't hear or feel her breathing, "Sam! She's not breathing! Megan?"

"I'm calling an ambulance right now," the Detective said as she kept Polley pinned facedown with her knee in the middle of his back, uncaring he was losing blood from the gunshot wound nor the fact that he was wailing. She called for dispatch, summoning an ambulance and gave out the necessary urgent information.

"Megan," Peter breathed as he positioned his hands on her chest, "Megan, come on, wake up! It's Peter. Can you hear me? Megan?"

Sam watched helplessly as she held Polley down, watching Peter while he began chest compressions, counting under his breath in between steadily imploring the doctor to awaken.

While it had crossed his mind at one point or another, not once did it ever occur to Peter Dunlop the first time his lips would touch that of Megan Hunt's, it would be under these circumstances. It wasn't habitual that thoughts of the sort would come to mind, but he was a man and she was an attractive woman—such things were inevitable and of all the possible scenarios he had thought of, this had never come close.

But it was happening and with the desperate effort of trying to revive her, it didn't even register in his mind that his lips had indeed touched his partner's.

Peter breathed life into Megan twice, stopping only for a moment to listen before resuming the process. She hadn't responded, not a shift nor a twitch of a finger. But Peter pressed on and kept steady count, cursing even louder each time she failed to show any signs of change.

"Don't do this," he mumbled, repeating the process of attempting to resuscitate her, "Don't do this, Megan. Lacey needs you. She _needs_ you. Don't you leave her, don't you dare. Come on, Megan…don't give up. You don't even know what that means."

"It's too late," Polley suddenly said, laughing even as Sam jerked his body, pressing down on his shoulder, "She's gone…better think fast what you're going to say to that daughter of hers. Mommy just had to go!"

"Shut up!" Peter snarled, resuming chest compressions once more, "Where is that damned ambulance?"

"Dead, dead, dead," Polley sang, "Ding dong, the witch is dead—"

"Shut up or I'm going put another bullet in your ass!" Sam yelled, pulling the man onto his feet and shoved him to the nearest wall, "You got the right to remain silent!"

"It won't matter now, won't it?" Polley grinned even as he winced, "I _won_."

It took everything within Detective Sam Baker not to smash his smug face right into the wall over and over again. It would be far less than what he actually deserved, but it would help with the steadying stream of rage flowing through her system. It was only the idea of being the one responsible for letting the bastard walk free based on a technicality that helped keep her temper in check. She wasn't about to hand him a get out of jail free card.

"Megan, _come on!_ Wake up! Damn it, Megan!"

Just then, the elevators opened and the paramedics finally arrived. They went to work, pushing Peter aside and fired off questions as they tended to the unconscious doctor who still hadn't shown any sign of life. He fell back, breathing heavily from the effort and with a shaking hand wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, unable to take his eyes off of Megan Hunt.

He was sure he was going to throw up but he willed himself not to. Instead, Peter sat back, and proceeded to hold his head in his hands as he tried to breathe properly, sweat and—though he was unaware—tears trickling over his cheeks. He watched helplessly on while the two people worked on his partner, answering as much as of their questions as he could, barely able to keep focus.

When the time came to take her away, Peter didn't hesitate, moving with them as he kept his eyes on her. Though he wasn't entirely aware of it, he continued to speak to her in hushed whispers, urging her to wake up with her name in a seemingly endless repeat on his lips.

By the time the elevator doors closed, his back was against the wall, unable to keep himself upright without assistance as his legs threatened to give underneath him. Peter's hopes practically plummeted along with his insides as the doctor maintained status quo, stubborn to the very end.

Flashes of memories of his last girlfriend, Dani, who had died not too long ago flooded his mind. It had been under different circumstances, a different time, but seeing the blood, feeling that same barrage of helplessness and devastation—it assaulted Peter Dunlop to the point that made his heart constrict painfully in his chest.

He had been unable to save Dani then and watching Megan lying so still when he was so used to trying to catch up with her half the time, he felt the same crippling feeling of failure as if he'd been the one to land each and every blow on her battered body. It didn't help that his last conversation with her earlier that evening hadn't ended in the best of terms. He had given up on her and said words he now knew he didn't truly mean.

Peter could accept if she too gave up on him, but he at least wanted the chance to take it all back. He had been angry and maybe a part of him did mean it in the heat of the moment, but not now. He hadn't given up, hadn't meant that he would no longer be there for her.

He pressed his back against the elevator wall, breathing raggedly as he absently clawed at the elevator's rail, trying to hang on to whatever he could to keep himself up when his knees could barely hold him up. His eyes fell on Megan, unable to stop the misery from showing on his face.

She still hadn't regained consciousness and the way the medics were continuing to work on her with an Ambu bag, it wasn't at all looking well. Peter wiped his face with a shaky hand, breathing in deeply with his heart hammering against his chest. He didn't want to think, didn't want to recognize whatever sign there may be in front of him because that would mean facing the reality that maybe, just maybe, he had failed to save someone he cared about once more.

He had tried to save Dani the same way even as she slipped away from him, he didn't know if he could face the same thing happening all over again with his stubborn, flame-haired partner. He had tried so hard to bring Dani back but he had failed. With Megan—he didn't want to think about it.

Peter bent forward, staying out of the way of the medics and fought the urge to vomit once more when it came back at him like a battering ram. He looked up, catching a glimpse of a tangled lock of red hair, blocking out the voices in the small box and focused on the woman he'd come to know and care about.

"Come back, Megan…come back."


	2. Chapter 2

**Note: **Wow. Just wow, guys. The feedback has been amazing! Thank you so much. I'm so glad you guys like this one when I wasn't even sure I'd dare post it—I wasn't sure anyone would like a rewrite of the finale. I'm so glad I did now!

Thank you for taking the time to review and those who did without a registered account, I'd like to thank you now since I'm not able to reach you guys via private messaging. Keep reading, alright? This is a work in progress and I've got a lot lined up. Keep reading and reviews are always, always welcome! They make me very happy, I admit.

**Note 2: **I didn't like Todd, never did—but there are sides to every story.

-o0o0o0o0o-

* * *

**CHAPTER TWO****  
**

"Peter!"

The doors of Franklin Memorial Hospital's Emergency Room flew open as Dr. Kate Murphy strode in with two of her employees trailing closely behind. Her unfastened black coat billowed about her as she walked, strong legs in high heels taking sure steps that commanded attention. She didn't notice people around the room taking notice of her, easily catching sight of the medical investigator seated in one of the chairs in the waiting area who bolted up at the sound of her voice and focused on him.

"Kate," he said with a sigh, the tired look on his face seeming to age him since they last saw each. Not that it did anything to stop the inevitable barrage of questions all she and her companions fired off at the same time.

"What happened?"

"Where is Dr. Hunt?"

"Is she okay?"

But the blonde took command of the meet, raising her hand at the other two to keep them both silent and turned to Peter, moving her head in a way that told him to go ahead. There was a certain haunted expression on his face as she watched him, visible even through the stress and the toll of recent events that had slowly been overtaking him as of late.

"Polley…" Peter began, stopping when a gasp was heard, coming from intern Dr. Ethan Gross who was behind the Chief Medical Examiner's left shoulder. She barely spared the younger man a glance before her blue eyes returned to him.

Next to Ethan, Dr. Curtis Brumfield wasn't able to react to the younger man's audible reaction as his eyes grew wide with alarm. They already knew the basic facts, but it did not make hearing it from the man himself any easier.

"He—" Peter's voice went hoarse and cleared his throat before forcing himself to speak clearly again, "He came after her. He got in the building and…I don't even know."

"God," Kate shook her head, running a hand through her hair with her one hand on her hip, "How's Megan?"

"She's still in there," he gestured to the doors that didn't allow non-hospital employees, "They're working on her, but…it's bad, Kate. She-she wasn't breathing by the time we got to her."

"Oh, god, oh, god," Ethan shook his head, "Is she—?"

"We don't know," Peter shook his head, "The medics were able to get her breathing again, but they weren't able to revive her into consciousness. She…god, Kate. She _wouldn't_ wake up."

"It's okay," Kate said, patting him on the shoulder and sat him down, "Megan's a fighter."

"You didn't see her," Peter stared ahead, as if he was seeing it all over again in his mind, "She wasn't moving, she wasn't breathing…I thought she was dead."

"Where's Polley?" Ethan suddenly asked with the same haunted expression on his face now as well.

"Sam stayed with him," Peter answered then looked at Kate, "I shot him on the shoulder—she wasn't moving and he had his hand on her neck…he wouldn't let her go. The bastard _laughed_."

"You did what you could," Kate consoled him.

"I was too late," Peter said quietly, curling one hand on top of his fist, gripping hard until the skin on his fingers and knuckle turned white, "I should have been there…I should have stayed."

"You didn't know, no one did," she said, "You cannot think like that."

Curtis nodded, "Yeah, Peter. Polley was a sick SOB."

"Yeah, and I left her alone, now—"

"Peter," Kate said firmly, her voice taking an edge that wasn't there before, "You can't think like that. We can't afford that, not when we have to concentrate on Megan. Okay? It wasn't your fault." She sighed, "And I think Megan would not want you to do this to yourself."

"Kate—" Peter began, only to stop again when there was a sudden movement.

All three of them looked up as Ethan suddenly broke away from the group, moving towards the doors from whence they came. Curtis followed, "Ethan! Where in the hell you think you're going?"

"To the office," the intern answered though he didn't stop.

"Ethan, no! CSU is already on site and Bud's on his way! They don't need us there," Kate said.

"I want to see what he did."

Peter stood up, hand reaching forward, "You don't want that, Ethan, believe me."

The scientist pivoted, barely dodging a nurse as he stormed his way back towards his friends. There was a fierce look in his eyes as he spoke, "Yeah, well, you know what? Megan doesn't need me _here_. She needs me to be there to do my job—to-to be in the office to make sure that piece of filth doesn't get away."

"Ethan—" Curtis began, ready to scold the suddenly flighty intern.

"No. She needs me to make sure he doesn't get to do this again to anyone else, not to Lacey, not to another woman out there," he stopped, the steam running out as quickly as it came and a desolate look replaced the anger on his face, "Megan...Dr. Hunt would want that. She doesn't need me twiddling my fingers, wasting time here when there's work to be done."

Kate's eyes drooped at the corners, her voice softening, "Ethan…"

"No," he shook his head, looking at each of them before raising his hands in front of him as if to push them away, "I'm going to do what Megan would want…my job."

With that, he turned away again, practically running through the doors and exited without so much as a backward glance. Curtis turned to Kate, as if at a loss on what to do for once.

"Let him go," she said, "We're still reacting to this and Ethan needs to deal with this in his own way. Has anyone informed Megan's family?"

"I…no," Peter shook his head, "I don't know who her next of kin is listed."

Kate pulled out her phone, "Her mother."

"Oh, god," Peter shook his head, pressing his thumb and index finger each onto his eyes, pushing until he saw stars and blinked. He didn't know if he had a head ache or if he was just going through shock—god knows what but his eyes were throbbing.

He had met Joan Hunt and after seeing her strained relationship with Megan, he still did not doubt she wasn't going to take the news of her only child getting hurt well. The mother and daughter were working to fix their relationship much like Megan was doing with Lacey and he couldn't imagine the effect this was going to have on the former judge. He knew Joan was at least making more effort and Megan was letting her in more. This was a blow Peter knew Joan might not be ready for. Then again, who was in situations like this?

"I'll find a contact number and inform her," Kate said, standing up with her phone already out of her purse. "She will want to be here."

Kate rarely ever did well twiddling with her fingers waiting for answers so she was going to her go to mode—management. Kate knew she would do better making sure the right things were being done, the right people were contacted. This was her work, making sure things stayed on track and sitting around waiting to hear some news on her employee and her friend was not what she needed. She needed to do _something, _if only to feel less useless than she actually was.

"What about Lacey? Has anyone told her about her mother?" Curtis asked, saddened at the thought of how this could affect the young girl. He was genuinely fond of Lacey Fleming—the girl seemed to become more and more like her mother each time he saw her.

Kate looked at Peter, "Is she with Todd?"

"I don't know," he shook his head miserably, "I think so. I don't know."

"I'll call Todd too," she informed them, patting him on the shoulder on her way, "I'll be right back."

Curtis took the spot his boss vacated, unsure what to say so he stayed quiet.

"God," Peter rubbed his face with his hands, his elbows resting on his knees as he folded forward in his seat, "What am I going to tell Lacey?"

"That a bad man hurt her mother," Curtis said weakly, "You did nothing wrong, Peter."

"I left her behind," Peter looked at him, his cheeks appearing hollow and his eyes well beyond tired, "That sounds wrong to me."

"You're not her bodyguard."

"But I am her partner," he said quietly, "And her friend…the last thing I said to her, Curtis? I told her I was done with her…if-if she doesn't make it, that will be the last thing I _ever_ said to Megan. I told her I was_ done_ looking out for her. Now here we are. How…how am I supposed to feel?"

"Did you mean it?" Curtis asked after a moment.

"At the time? I was so…angry. Ever since Dani I've…" he stopped, holding his head in his hands and shut his eyes tightly, "I was angry. I didn't mean it but at that moment? I could have…I can't lose her like that, Curtis."

"You won't," the round African-American doctor said resolutely, "You two have been partners for nearly a year. You bound to get into fights with each other. It's what you do. You've been a good friend to her, don't think she'll change her opinion just 'cause you got a little hot in the head."

He shifted in his seat, "B'sides, she gon' make it, alright? She will and ya'll gonna say sorry and move on 'cause that's what friends do. You throw a chair at each other then you make up. And knowing Megan Hunt? Mhm, I bet she threw more than just a chair back at ya."

Peter shook his head, remembering exactly the look on his partner's face when he practically accused her of returning to her old ways of being oblivious and uncaring towards the people around her. The expression on her face wasn't one of hurt, it was something else he couldn't name but it was enough to tell him he had delivered a low blow even her legendary armor could not deflect.

In a way, it was due to his meddling and pushing that had Megan trying to forge relationships with the people around her and he knew that was not an easy task for her. It was something even she knew she was not good at and was secretly insecure about. It was rare to find her insecure about something and Peter had been careful until today when he basically threw it all back right in her face. He was angry, sure but it still hadn't been fair because the main thing was she had been doing quite well, making an actual effort with him and the rest of their little team.

It doubled-tripled-quadrupled his guilt, knowing he would only add to the insecurities that were already lurking in her mind, no matter how much she tried to hide their existence. He had no doubt her walls had come back up just as fast as he had knocked them down but he also knew penetrating them again would be an even larger feat than before—that is, if he would still even be allowed to come close again in the first place.

He shook his head, his mind unable to wrap itself around the hostility that had filled him and led him to lash out on Megan. He looked at Curtis, his eyes and shoulders heavy like lead, "This time…this time I think I threw the chair just a little harder than I should have."

The doctor must have seen something on his face, placing a hand on his shoulder gently and squeezed, "She's gon' be fine, Peter."

Peter wiped his mouth and let out a shuddering breath, "Yeah, I hope so…god, I hope so."

-o0o-

Todd Fleming was not a stranger when it came to difficult conversations with his daughter—especially about her mother.

He never had much of a father, having had a successful career-driven one who saw his secretary and partners more than he did his children. Their home life was not much of a stand out for the time: a father who worked hard, a mother who kept the home, children and her husband happy—the usual suspects. Todd never had to want for a thing, but he had seen what a difference it could make in a child's life growing up thinking work was more important than affection.

Marrying someone like Megan, someone who was driven, determined and just built to be _something_, Todd had recognized the signs. He knew she would never keep a home the way his mother did, would likely miss some key dates and occasions in their lives, but he loved her enough to understand. He had been in love with her, her stubbornness and her brilliance.

He was proud of her, proud of her accomplishments and her future, knowing she was going to make such a tremendous difference in the world saving lives. Megan Hunt was destined for something far greater and Todd understood that.

At least, he did for a while.

It was when Lacey came along when things started to truly surface—sweet, beautiful Lacey who had been their miracle. She came when they weren't even actively trying anymore. Sure they had talked about children but it was never a true goal after a few years into the marriage. He doesn't like to think they gave up because they didn't. Life just happened, that was all. Megan's career got its traction in the fast track as she decided to make neurosurgery as her specialty and Todd started climbing the ladders in his old firm.

It was never a perfect life, but Todd could sincerely say that finding out about Lacey and then actually having her was the happiest time in their marriage.

Megan was still driven, still concentrated saving lives but it had softened her somewhat. They laughed more, Todd got to watch his child grow as his wife carried her and she learned to sit still, for once. It was almost as if it had rejuvenated their marriage in ways they hadn't even realized it needed and for a while, it had been wonderful and Todd had never been happier.

Then the time passed and things began to change even more. Todd liked to think that Megan had been truly happy during their only child's earlier years, but when her career kept gaining more and more traction and she became the best in her field, everything else seemed to go down.

She already kept ungodly hours in the hospital for varying reasons: as an intern and a woman, it was because she had to prove herself and stand out. As a resident, it was so she could take more time to test the waters to decide which path to take next in terms of specialty. When she was finally a full pledged neurosurgeon, it was because she was _needed._

Naïve as it may seem now, Todd had not realized it was possible but Megan began to stay longer and longer in the hospital. There were times when he wouldn't see her for days, times when she didn't even see Lacey awake. For a while, it was almost as if her office had more clothes than her drawers at home and Todd had tried to be understanding, but eventually, he got fed up.

His career was less hectic, compared to a surgeon like his wife, and he took care of Lacey. He didn't mind, of course, but he started to realize he resented his wife. And like a cancer, his resentment grew and spread.

When at first he still urged her to come home, spend time together, he gave up and eventually stopped caring. Whenever she actually managed to come home, they fought. When occasions came and she missed them, he no longer bothered to wonder or even get upset. Sometimes, he altogether didn't bother planning or acknowledging some occasions, knowing she would be too busy to actually show up for them.

Eventually, talking was thrown out of the window altogether and they got used to jumping right to the part where they yelled at each other.

Todd had been angry, but seeing Lacey miss her mother had been the last straw. School activities missed, birthdays forgotten and even the holidays became non-existent. Todd began to see himself more as someone married to a ghost and his daughter started to wonder why Mommy didn't always come home.

It hurt Todd, though he would never admit it, to see Lacey feel that way. He reached into anger because it was easier and stuck with it.

So one day, he filed for divorce. He still didn't know what to feel, remembering how it wasn't even a hard decision to make when ultimately he decided he had had enough. It wasn't a thought he liked to revisit, not even after nearly six years. They were over, him and his ex-wife, but he still lost a family—_his _family.

Megan moved out and Todd finally had an answer for his daughter about why Mommy wasn't coming home. It had been difficult to explain, but at the time, he justified his decision by repeating to himself and anyone who wanted to know he was protecting his child.

A child deserved to be wanted and as far as Todd could see at the time, Megan wanted her career more than she did her daughter and Todd wasn't going to stand for it anymore. He felt rejected, felt as if there wasn't enough between him and Lacey that could make his wife take actual time to stay with them more often. She had a job, he understood, and it was important, but Todd wanted a family, wanted someone to talk to, to watch his daughter with and Megan wasn't showing any sign of slowing down.

So the marriage ended and life went on. Megan got a place in the city, Lacey understood what divorce was and Todd finally got the chance to actually start moving on.

Then the accident happened—more changes and then Megan's recovery followed. It stalled her career but she was damned if she was going to let that stop her. His ex-wife worked hard to get back in the game and even made good time getting better. Things went back on track and life came as close to normal as it possibly could. He thought that was it.

But then, suddenly her career as a surgeon ended. He had known she closed her practice after losing a patient, but he hadn't known the real story until much later. He had fought with her even, asking what the point was in giving it all up for one patient and at the time, Megan had been so angry about everything, she lashed out. Todd pushed her, she pushed back and it drove a deeper wedge of whatever was left in their relationship.

Megan was angry for a long time, having lost her career, her identity. She began to see Lacey even less—which wasn't already much back then—and Todd didn't mind and kept his distance. He stopped bothering to know what was going on with her life, content to have his daughter and their life.

The way he saw it, it was simple: if Megan did not want to be a part of his or their daughter's life, they could do without her—they'd been doing so already for a while by then. Even Lacey had grown up and understood that her mother worked hard and led a more complicated, time constrained life. It did not help that Megan losing her career had been one of the most difficult phases in her life, losing it all so quickly at once. The anger and lashing out involved during those dark times put a strain on a lot of different relationships in Megan's life.

He stopped expecting anything from Megan long before so when she started coming around to trying to get to know Lacey, of course he stopped her any way he could. He was still angry and Todd just didn't buy the whole thing, didn't even want to think she just suddenly had a change of heart.

But Megan persisted and like everything else in her life, she got what she wanted eventually.

So while it may have surprised him to know a year or so ago that Lacey wanted to talk to her mother, he wasn't anymore. Megan had yet again changed, but this time, it was for the better. They'd gone a month without yelling at each other, three if you think about them having a real drawn out fight.

Lacey finally had a mother she could talk to and share things only a daughter could share with her mom and she was very happy. Of course, Todd could get jealous at times, but he also knew his daughter was going through a very important phase in her life, transitioning from being a little girl into a teenager.

A lot about having a daughter at that stage scared the hell out of him and he was incredibly glad—though he'd yet to tell her and perhaps never will—Megan had come back in time. Lacey needed her mother now more than ever and he was grateful for that.

Then there was also the part where these days, when he wasn't in the middle of verbally sparring with her, Todd could see flashes of the old Megan coming through and sometimes, it made him smile.

Because once upon a time, he _did_ love her—the Megan he met who was clever, funny, and incredibly intelligent with the perfect dry wit that he enjoyed. She could make him laugh so easily then and there had been a time when he adored her and would have done anything to be with her. But somewhere along the way, he lost that Megan and forgot about her. He stopped seeing who she was and instead, focused on who she had become. He had changed too, he supposed, and somehow, all of that just could not hold them together.

Although sometimes, seeing the changes in his ex-wife these days, he could spot pieces of the old Megan showing every now and then. He'd had no idea he still missed that part of her and it was surprising to find that out about himself but he truly did. The Megan he met and fell in love with was still in there, somewhere.

"Dad, she's not picking up."

Todd looked up, remote in hand and pressed pause, letting his head loll to the side as his attention moved towards his daughter and away from his ex-wife.

Lacey had been restless for most of the night, for once unable to concentrate on that trite movie about a girl falling in love with a vampire (it was utter crap but he snorted once at it and his pre-teen raked him over the coals for it in a way that made her seem so much like her mother, it was almost eerie). She had her beloved phone in her hand, pacing from one end to another by the window.

"She could just be sleeping…it's kinda late," he said, checking his watch. It wasn't a school night so he was up for a movie night she prompted, telling him it was a new tradition she and her mother had at her house. "Or she could be at work."

"She would pick up," she replied, pressing her phone to her ear again, "She _would_."

Todd still had skepticism regarding his ex-wife, but seeing his daughter so sure, he didn't bother contradicting her. He was learning to get along better with Megan and he wasn't going to accomplish that by being snarky.

"Mom...I've been calling but you're not picking up. Call me back, please? I…it's Lacey. I love you," Lacey spoke, obviously ill at ease and her father could see her biting her bottom lip. She was so clearly troubled, Todd felt bad for dismissing her feelings about not being able to reach her mother.

"Lace, I'm sure she's fine," he tried to console her. Megan had informed him of why he suddenly had Lacey earlier than he should have when their week together wasn't even over yet.

Something regarding a criminal she put away and even though he was behind bars, it had scared Megan enough to hide Lacey away and keep her away from her, knowing Megan was practically a walking target. Todd didn't fight her on it, not when their collective goal was to keep their child as safe as possible.

Through everything, while there were still some part of them angry with each other or whatever else may there be, they were forever linked to each other through Lacey. They could disagree on all things under the sun, but they were learning to work together when it came to their child, be a team despite everything that's happened. It was working and Todd could only hope it stayed that way.

Lacey rounded on her father, her long brown hair flying, "Then why won't she pick up her phone?"

"I don't know," he said honestly, "But baby, your mom can take care of herself. She's smart, she's strong and she works with cops. She's safe."

"How can you know for sure?" there was a defiant look on her face surfacing, a look Todd was seeing more and more of as of late. It was the emergence of his teenage daughter and he couldn't help but dread it every single day.

"I don't but stressing yourself out like this isn't going to help," he said instead, placating the emotional girl and hoping to god this wasn't going to turn into a bad night.

Lacey looked as if she was ready to fight him on it but she stopped and instead, a sad look fell on her young face, clutching her phone as she moved towards the couch. She curled up next to him and he easily held her. Something had been bothering her all night and Todd was getting the feeling it wasn't just because she couldn't reach Megan.

It only took a moment before Lacey finally spoke again, "You should have seen her face, dad…she was _so_ scared."

"She was afraid for you, baby, and so am I," Todd said, running his hand over her head on his shoulder. It was guilt then for her behavior the night before and while he didn't condone her disobedience, he was glad to at least uncover what was bothering her. "He's a dangerous man and there are a lot of bad people out there. Your mom loves you very much."

"I know," Lacey answered, "But she was crying…she was so angry, but she cried. I've never seen her like that…with my stupid diabetes and this…it's not fair, dad. I don't like seeing Mom scared."

"Hey, hey," Todd shook his head, "It's not your fault, alright? We're your parents—we will always be scared for you whether it's some dangerous person saying stupid things or just some strange dog you want to pet in the market. It's what parents do."

"That doesn't sound fun," she muttered, "I just want to talk to her. I was awful last night."

"It comes with the territory, Lace. Believe me, your mother understands," he chuckled then moved, shifting her to sit upright and face him, which she did. He ran his finger from the bridge of her nose to the tip, easily making her smile—a trick Megan had discovered when Lacey was still an infant. "Tell you what, if she doesn't call when the movie is over, we try something else, okay?"

Lacey looked at him hopefully, "Promise?"

"Promise," he nodded with a smile.

"Okay," she said, grabbing the remote from him and got ready to press play.

Todd smiled, glad to have appeased her for the time being. After a full school night and that stunt from the night before, Lacey needed to rest, "So, the girl likes the vampire but then there's a wolf boy now?"

"Werewolf, dad," she rolled her eyes, as expected.

Todd nodded, pretending to be deep in thought, "Okay, so a girl, a vampire and a werewolf who hates vampires and…he's younger than her? That guy looks like he's thirty!"

"Dad!"

He smiled, "Team Jack, right?"

"_Jacob_ and its Team _Edward_!" he laughed at the way she seemed so scandalized that her father would support the—well, the other guy. Todd wasn't going to admit, but he was barely conscious about what exactly he movie was about even though he's sat through it with her for the third time already. He could honestly not wait until she was over this particular phase.

Crushes were fine, but Todd Fleming wasn't too keen on his only girl thinking about some walking undead being her dreamboat. Besides, she was not getting near boys until she was forty.

Lacey pressed play and they continued laughing together just as their house phone began to ring. She groaned and her father chuckled, standing up and headed out to the closest extension by the stairs. He stopped when he saw the name on the caller ID, raising his eyebrows.

"Who is it?"

Todd didn't answer and instead, picked up the phone, "Kate?"

"Kate?" Lacey echoed, moving off the couch and following her father. She lingered at the threshold, the arch that separated the living area from the hallway, curious. Lacey knew only one Kate in her father's life and that was her mother's boss whom her dad decided to date at one point. It was weird and hectic for a while, but she knew they'd broken up.

Still though, with grownups and life in general, things like people totally wrong for each other getting back together were not exactly headline material. And Lacey so did not want to be grossed out tonight.

"Listen, have you seen Megan? Lacey was just—" he stopped, turning slightly away so his back mostly faced his daughter, "What? Are you sure?...god, you're not kidding…no, no…I-I…yeah, I know…I have to—yeah, Lacey and…Kate, you're serious…? Okay, yeah…we'll be there. Thank you."

Having heard her father's side of the conversation in its entirety, Lacey Fleming hid halfway behind the wall, lingering as she gripped the edge with both fingers. She was biting the inside of her cheek, unsure what to think after hearing the friendly tone disappear from her father's voice. His back was still turned towards her but she had seen his shoulder tense up. It was her mother. She was sure of it.

"I'll see you, okay? Thank you…call me if anything? Yeah, we'll be careful…bye, Kate."

Lacey almost didn't want her father to end the call, preferring to make him stay there forever than listen to what he might say. Her painted nails dug into the hard surface of the wall, but she didn't even feel it while she watched him put the phone back in its cradle shortly.

Her heart began to hammer against her chest and her breathing began to quicken but it was shallow and her throat closed up without warning. She suddenly felt like she wasn't getting enough oxygen and her ears were filled with the thunderous beating of her heart. Tears stung her eyes and her legs suddenly felt like jelly. She felt the way she usually felt after being made to run laps in gym class.

It was her mother, Lacey knew even without needing to be told. Something had happened to her mom.

Her father turned around, his eyes suspiciously wide, "Lacey…"

"No," she found herself saying, shaking her head as she hid even more behind the wall, "No."

"Baby, it' your mom—"

"No! I said no!" she suddenly raised her voice, her eyes growing fierce despite the tears that were so close to falling, "She's okay! She's fine! She's at home, sleeping! She's FINE! Dad, no!"

"—Lacey, she's in the hospital and—"

"I said no!" her face crumpled, hand balling into tight fists in front of her as she backed away, shaking her head in denial, "She's okay."

Todd moved closer towards, her, holding her gently but firmly by the shoulders, "They're taking care of her, Lace…she was hurt, but they are taking very good care of her. In the hospital."

"So I can see her? How hurt is she? Who was it? Was it the man? The bad man?"

"I don't know, but we're going to see, okay? She was hurt badly, but," he sighed and tried to give her a reassuring smile, "Lace, they're doing everything they can, okay?"

"I want to see her, dad, I want to see her now," Lacey hung on to his forearms, gripping tightly.

"We will, but there are a few things that Kate told me that you have to understand, alright? Then we will go."

She felt confused, "What? Dad, tell me in the car! We have to go! I want to see mom!"

"Not until you listen to me," Todd said, taking a firmer tone, "Lacey, I need you to listen to me."

Seeing the look on his father's face and hearing his voice, Lacey paused and then nodded. She took a deep breath and her face turned into a mask of calm and she stubbornly wiped away the tears that had gathered in her eyes, "Okay. Okay. I'm listening."

And once more, Todd Fleming had another difficult conversation with his daughter about her mother. Only this time, he didn't have answers for the rest of the questions he knew were coming, not when he hadn't really been able to provide sufficient answers to the ones she had already asked.

He didn't even know much except for what Kate had told him. Megan was in surgery after being hurt badly, but other than that, information was scarce. He had been cautioned by his ex-girlfriend that nothing was sure yet that things were still in danger of taking a turn for the worst.

It was so much different from telling Lacey about Megan's accident—this was harder. They knew she was going to live then and their relationships weren't as strong now. And Lacey was older, more familiar with loss and death while when she was a child, the concept were still vague in places. Five years ago, her young mind would have found an easier way to cope or could have found something else to distract her. At her age now, she knew what it meant when you lose your mother—you lose her _forever_.

Todd knew Lacey had gotten attached to her mother again, had gotten to know her and loved her even more than ever. She had been distraught finding out about the accident but this could scare her even more when someone had deliberately hurt her mother. He feared greatly this could devastate her in ways that would leave wounds that would not be salved easily.

Holding his daughter's hand, Todd hoped to god that once more Megan's stubborn streak would win out, if only for their child's sake.

Lacey needed her mother.

-o0o-

"Sam."

Detective Samantha Baker looked up, surprised to see her partner stride through the elevator with a grim expression on his face, "Bud? What are you doing here? Where's Jeannie?"

"She made me go," Detective Bud Morris said by way of explanation, clearly unhappy about the matter, "Her sister's staying with her and she ended the shower early…she knows about what happened here. Wouldn't even let me talk her into letting me stay."

Sam nodded, "Right."

He looked around, his eyes hooded as he took in the pieces of glass still on the ground and the members of CSU processing Megan Hunt's office. He could see the turned over chair, the contents of her desk on the ground. He didn't need to be told the altercation had taken place there and he wondered where else it could have led to when the main area of the seventh floor lobby had been roped off with crime scene tapes as well.

"We came through there," she motioned towards the elevator that had been left open and stationary, "Polley had the doc by the neck…the place was a mess."

"What the hell happened here?"

"CSU still processing but they canvassed the floor," the female veteran shook her head, "He had her in the autopsy room for a while. Tools everywhere, things overturned and a few drops of blood. Don't know whose yet but it could go either way. She fought him."

"Wouldn't expect anything less," Bud muttered then winced, "The autopsy room?"

"Yeah," Sam could easily see the effect it had on her stoic partner. She hadn't reacted too well herself when CSU led her in there and pointed out the table where they found strands of red hair that were unmistakably Megan Hunt's. "She was barefoot when we found them and they found her shoes in the morgue, tossed most likely probably to make it harder for her to run. Her feet were cut up from the glass."

"She tried to run," Bud nodded, his face contorting—the only evidence of his contained rage. "Anything else?"

Sam nodded, "A lot more. Her phone was in there in pieces and they found a bloody scalpel too, not too far away from the slab where he had her. We won't know the full story until we get her statement but I think she gave him a run for his money."

Bud nodded then he sneered, "Where's Polley?"

"Hospital then lock up," she answered, "Reyes and Krakowski are on duty tonight and they're the ones who'll be handling this officially so we can make sure no slime ball Polley hires can pull some conflict of interest crap—just to be careful. Already talked about it with the Captain and as long as we stay hands off and don't go around pretending to be cowboys, we're in the clear."

"The Captain's called you already?"

"Mhm," Sam nodded, "He talked to Kate then called me. He doesn't want screw ups on this one."

Bud looked around, "Not as if there's much wiggle room for Polley at this point…ballsy coming here and he just put the noose around his neck."

"And we're not gonna let him kick the chair from under him, no," Sam smirked, "Let him rot."

"Who's here?"

"Reyes," Sam nodded down towards the hall, "He's looking around. Krakowski is with Polley along with a uniform to get him patched up. He's not going anywhere."

"What's he in the hospital for?" he scowled.

"Few scrapes, a stab wound it looked and Peter shot him on the shoulder," she nodded, "Polley was going to stab Megan with that damned hook. It was a good shot."

"Bastard got off lightly. I would have kneecapped the son of a bitch," he scoffed, spotting a few more CSU techs down the hall, "How did he get in? This is a government building, they have security _and_ his face has been all over the news."

"Still trying to figure it out, but if he had a ride, it's not here," Sam answered, "We're still processing but on top of his prison break and this? There's no question. He's going down."

Bud nodded without a word, turning towards the office and simply stared through the hole where a plate-glass wall used to be. He let out a deep sigh, "Megan?"

Sam let out a breath, "I don't know. I secured Polley…Peter took care of her, did what he could but he told me she wasn't breathing. She didn't look too good."

"Jesus," Bud shook his head, looking around the mess that had become of the Seventh Floor. "How the hell did this happen? Did we drop the ball? How could we not see this coming?"

"He was heading to Canada and US Marshall took it off our hands," Sam said, "That doesn't make anything go away but taking all the blame won't help either."

Bud nodded, "Dropped the ball on this one."

"And it's about time we pick it up, don't you think so?" Sam asked, moving towards a CSU tech headed their way, an evidence bag in hand.

"That bastard just made the biggest mistake of his life," Bud said simply, breathing in deeply and straightened himself up, following after his partner. "Let's wrap this up so we can lock him up and throw away the key. He's not going to be walking any street again, not if I have something to say about it."

Sam smiled a little, "Damn right. Let's go."

-o0o-

Dr. Kate Murphy hadn't been able to get off her phone after calling Megan Hunt's family.

It seemed the news of what happened in the Philadelphia County Medical Center had spread even in the lateness of the hour. She was already fielding calls between the Mayor and members of the press, gotten messages from the Health Commissioner and as well as a few more from the 'interested' members of Philly's political ranks. She had already been informed of reporters camped out both outside their offices as well as the hospital and security had been sent to both locations to provide some semblance of order.

Somehow, they had found out about Megan and already had her name in the headlines and breaking news. Kate was glad that she at least was able to inform her family rather than have them find out that way but she knew it would not settle well with anyone that the whole thing had ballooned into a circus so quickly.

"Nobody say anything," Kate spoke into her phone while taking a quick look on at the hospital grounds where she could already spot two vans sporting logos of their respective news channels parked. "I will make a statement when I'm ready. In the meantime, I want the building sealed off. Nobody gets in without ID or credentials and I mean _nobody_. The seventh floor is an active crime scene, do you hear me? No interlopers, no reporters and anyone who tries to fake their way in, arrest them." She sighed, "For trespassing in an active crime scene!"

She hung up, letting out a breath as her eye rolled up towards the ceiling. The night was far from over but she was already juggling so many things, she was sure chances of sleep were slim to none. She was wired and she was being pulled in a thousand and one different directions.

Kate was needed in the office, to check things over as well as see for herself. It was a crime scene but it was also the same place where dozens and dozens of other active cases were currently on hold. Contamination and as well as protecting evidence were priority and as well as the bodies.

But she also wanted to stay in the hospital, to be there for Megan. They haven't always been the best of friends, but Kate had learned to appreciate the stubborn and sometimes arrogant former surgeon. Megan was so rough around the edges with a prickly personality to match, it was hard to simply scale her walls when she tended to keep everyone out. To Kate, it would take a lot of patience, understanding and tenacity to get to know Megan and she was sure, had they not ended up working together, she never would have even bothered getting to know her.

She was glad she was getting the chance though because the more she got to know the redhead, the more sides to her she saw. Sure she was just as arrogant and stubborn, but Megan did _have_ other qualities that made getting to know her and actually being her friend worth it.

It will never be roses, never be anything perfect and they will always butt heads at work, but through it all, Kate had seen the Megan Hunt hiding underneath all the armor she wore. She was a good person, with a good heart and a determined soul. Megan may not agree with that assessment, but Kate wouldn't care and after her own brush with death, she had cemented the other woman as a friend, one she wouldn't just so easily discard.

Megan had been there for her during the bioterrorist attack, Kate wanted to return the favor and show her that she cared for her as well. She didn't think Megan believed easily that she had people who did care for her. Either that or she didn't like thinking people cared when there were possibilities they really didn't.

Kate knew now, unlike before when Megan was simply the pain in the ass who just happened to be really good at her job, that she was the way she was because she was simply protecting herself. To her understanding of the incredibly complex former neurosurgeon, Megan's talent for rubbing people the wrong way was just an instinct of self-preservation.

After finding out about her father, a part of Kate could understand that Megan was used to being feeling abandoned and had built up the walls around herself if only to keep the hurt out. Kate hated to think anyone going through what Megan had that but she was glad she knew because the redhead was so easily misunderstood.

She could not imagine how heavily it could affect a twelve-year-old girl to come home one day only to be told that her father was gone. It was even more devastating when the cause of death was suicide, to know that somehow her own father had _chosen_ to die rather than keep on living with his wife and child. It hurt Kate to even just imagine something like that happening to her, what more a little girl?

Her relationship with her mother didn't seem to be on the best level too and Kate could see the strain even in the rare moments she did happen to catch the Hunt women together. And it had been an offhanded comment from Todd where she got her confirmation.

She had mentioned to him about seeing Megan with her mother at a restaurant, the two looking as if they were having a good time. Todd had raised his eyebrows then, laughed to himself and muttered something along the lines of maybe Megan _had _changed after all if she actually got through a good meal with Joan Hunt. Kate questioned him then and he told her the few facts on the Hunt family—about her father, her conflicted relationship with her mother and the way she always tended to avoid spending time with the woman.

Kate had wanted to know more but she left it at that, at least with Todd who wasn't always forthcoming about his ex-wife or even willing to talk about her. She did, however, find a few things in the news archives, saw the poignant photo that came with an article of the then Assistant District Attorney Joan Hunt leading her daughter away in the cemetery on the day David Hunt was laid to rest. Mother and daughter had been hand in hand, with somber expressions on their faces.

Joan had been looking ahead as they walked, with her head held high while her daughter seemed to be looking back, most likely at her father's final resting place. So many emotions had been captured in one photograph and Kate had seen it all on the young Megan's face. And it was heartbreaking.

She had found out about David Hunt from the papers, but she didn't choose to let Megan know what she knew. The chances of the woman not reacting well to that was high. Megan would likely see it more as prying rather than an act of someone who cared and Kate didn't want that. It was a private matter and while normally the blonde wouldn't think to carelessly invade her privacy, she wouldn't let herself feel guilty about it either when her intentions had been in the purest form.

Her mind whispered of roads paved with such intentions but Kate tamped down hard on that and stubbornly kept a lid on it.

"Anythin' I can do?" a voice penetrated her thoughts and she was immediately grateful.

Kate looked up, finding Curtis walking towards her, "How's Peter?"

"Beatin' himself up," he answered honestly, "Thinks if he stayed with her none of this woulda happened."

"I'm not surprised," Kate said honestly.

Curtis gave her a look, "You agree with him? Think it's his fault?"

"Of course not," she frowned, "But they're partners and they look out for each other. It's only natural for the other to feel some level of guilt when something like this happens."

"He couldn't have known," Curtis shook his head, "None of us knew."

"Yes, well, good luck getting Peter to see it that way," she remembered the look on his and Megan's faces when she walked in on them in her office. She didn't want to think about what Peter could be going through. "They just need to talk, clear the air."

"You know about the fight they had?" Curtis asked.

"A little but Peter didn't talk about it with me," she crossed her arms over her chest, "I only heard the tail end of it before we left."

"Thought it was odd Peter hitchin' a ride with you," Curtis mumbled.

Kate shrugged and stood a little straighter, "It's between Peter and Megan. Right now, we're going to have to play catch up with the media and everyone else who thinks they have two cents to throw into the pot."

"Getting calls already?" Curtis asked with a knowing look, deciding not to delve deeper into whatever was between the ME and her medical investigator at the moment. Kate was right, it was between them and Curtis had already had enough of being shoved in the middle of things the last few months.

Besides, if he was seeing things right, his boss was already caught playing phone-tag from one end to another and he could only imagine how fun that was for her. He had done his walk in her shoes and he hadn't told her yet, but he was mighty glad to be out of them. He liked the science and playing boss was a nightmare that took him away from that and replaced it all with paperwork, hobnobbing and asskissing—the last two being things he had a great dislike for.

"Yep," she nodded, "The media's already got wind of what happened at the office. They're camped out here and there already."

"What can I do to help?" he asked, "I can head on to the lab, oversee things…"

"Actually, that would be very helpful," Kate admitted, "Right now, I'm hoping I can stay here until Megan's family arrives and I just—"

"Say no more," Curtis raised his hand, "I'll get to the office and see to the processing. I'm sure Ethan's there already doing god knows what. You'll stay for Megan?"

Kate nodded, "As long as I can."

"I'll tell everyone to shut up about the whole damned thing," Curtis said, "But what about Peter? He went off to get coffee, but I think he just needs to breathe."

She smiled, "I'll keep an eye on him. You'll keep me posted?"

"Yeah," he nodded, "Call me if there's any change, alright?"

"Thank you, Curtis," Kate said sincerely with a smile.

He gave her a small nod and with one last look at the doors leading into the ER's Operating Rooms, he left. Kate was left feeling very grateful to have Curtis at her side. She knew he was quite concerned with their fallen comrade as well and even though there had been time in the beginning when Curtis would have walked out if Megan wasn't thrown out, it was completely different now.

The start of Megan Hunt's relationship with Curtis Brumfield had been rocky, but even Kate could see the two had reached some kind of understanding. They were actually friends now, still ribbing and harping at each other, but friends nonetheless.

Underneath the somewhat loud and gruff-in-his-own-way exterior, Curtis was a sensitive soul. He was loyal and caring although few people could truly see that under all that snappishness and the despot that had come on to full display when he had her job for a while. And somehow, Kate knew even Megan had seen under all that bravado as well.

"Excuse me, I'm looking for my daughter? I was informed she was brought in here?"

Her attention was instantly drawn by the sound of the voice and Kate turned around and saw the familiar profile of Joan Hunt talking to someone in reception. Megan's mother was dressed in a long tan coat, her straight darker red hair that was almost auburn in slight disarray with her purse hanging on her forearm as if it had slid there and she hadn't bothered moving it. She looked harried, which was understandable given the news Kate had delivered to her over the phone.

"Mrs. Hunt," she called out in a measured voice, pocketing her cellphone and made her way towards the older woman. Kate saw the relief come across Joan's face as she recognized her and she mustered a small smile, holding her hand out.

"Dr. Murphy," Joan said, shaking hands with her, "There were reporters outside…so many of them, it's a miracle I managed to get in." She looked tired and then alarmed, "Where's my daughter? What happened to Megan?"

Kate motioned for them to sit on the chairs by the wall, sitting the woman down and was glad she followed without protest, "Mrs. Hunt, first of all I'm not sure if you're aware but Megan has been working on the Wilson Polley case—"

Joan's eyes grew wide, her hand moving to her lips, "The serial killer? Wilson Polley who killed all those women a few years ago?"

Kate nodded, "Yes, him."

"He did this to my daughter?" Joan asked, "I-I heard on the news today he got out, but I had no idea Megan…she didn't tell me and I didn't know the case in detail. She handled that case?"

"Yes, her first case," Kate nodded, "I'm so sorry, Mrs. Hunt."

"Don't…please," Joan shook her head, closing her eyes briefly, "Don't say sorry as if she's gone…I've heard enough of those in my life already. Where's Megan? Is she hurt badly? Can I see her?"

"She's still in surgery," Kate answered, "And right now, we haven't heard any news but they should have something for us soon."

Joan nodded, looking around before turning towards Kate, folding both arms around herself as if unconsciously protecting herself from what may come, "He…he went after Megan? Attacked her?"

"Yes, he did," Kate could see no reason why she should give her anything but the straight answer.

"Where?"

Kate took a moment before answering, "At the office. Megan was getting ready to leave for a party. We're looking in on everything. Believe me, Mrs. Hunt, when I say we have the best people working on this. Wilson Polley will not get another chance to get to your daughter."

"So, he's still alive then?"

"Yes," Kate nodded.

"And Megan…" Joan stopped, shaking her head as she moved her hand over her heart. "Good god…how could this happen?"

Kate chose to take that as a rhetorical question and looked away, just in time to see a couple more of familiar faces walk in. Todd noticed her first, their eyes meeting and he stopped his daughter from rushing the receptionist and motioned towards them instead.

Lacey was dressed in a pair of jeans, a red sweater and sneakers, her face a mask of fear and confusion, "Grandma!"

Joan looked up, surprise evident on her face as the girl launched herself straight at her. She and Kate both stood and the older woman caught the girl easily, holding on to her as Lacey buried her face into her grandmother's chest. She looked at Todd who stood close by, his hand on the back of his neck and looking entirely lost and ill at ease himself.

Lacey pulled back, looking up at her grandmother as if she had all the answers in the world, "Dad said Mom got hurt and there was a bad man and he scared mom because he threatened _me _but he came for her and now she's here and where is she? I want to see mom. Where's my mom?"

"We don't know anything yet, but the doctors are doing their best, okay, Lace?" Joan told her granddaughter, placing a hand on her cheek gently, "Right now, all we can do is wait but you have to have faith in your mom. She's going to fight and she's going to make it. She's tough."

Kate had never heard Lacey speak so fast but she understood. She knew Lacey was scared and full of questions and she knew it would be harder for her because at the moment, there were too many questions and not enough answers. She moved to excuse herself, but Todd shook his head and instead, moved closer towards her, motioning to a spot a little removed from Joan and Lacey.

Joan sat her granddaughter down, holding her close and whispered consoling words to her as she tried to calm the girl. Clearly she was doing a better job so Todd left her to it. Lacey needed the calming presence of her grandmother right now who could withstand practically anything. He had been a lost mess when Lacey had found out about Megan's accident, caving under the barrage of questions and it had been Joan who managed to get the girl to calm down while they waited for news.

It wasn't hard to figure out the common trait between the Hunt women—their stoicism and the enviable ability to compartmentalize when the need called for it, among other things. Joan hunt was strong and had made sure her daughter was strong as well and to get through to a terrified Lacey, Todd recognized the Hunt gene was definitely needed now.

"Thank you for calling us," Todd said quietly as he stood aside with Kate.

"No problem," she answered, "How are you doing?"

"Fine, it's Lacey I'm worried about…she knew when you called it would be about Megan," he sighed, "She was trying to reach her all night and Megan wouldn't answer her cell and after last night…Lacey was worried." He glanced at his daughter and former mother-in-law, "And she was right to…what-what happened?"

"We're still trying to figure it out," Kate admitted, "But things got pretty bad. We're just hoping for the best."

Todd nodded then looked at Kate, "She's…she can't leave Lacey. Not like this."

She nodded, "Megan knows that, Todd and I have no doubt she will be fighting to stay. She's stubborn—that should serve her well tonight."

He smiled a little, "Hard to imagine anything keeping her down, right?"

Kate smiled, "True."

Todd looked at her, his eyes softening a little, "How you doing, Kate?"

She managed a soundless snort, shaking her head slightly as she looked around, "I'd be better when I hear about my ME making it through."

He smiled a little, nodding, "Sounds like that's exactly what we all need right about now."

-o0o-

Peter Dunlop couldn't bear to sit in the waiting area of the Emergency Room any longer.

So he left Curtis there, pretending he needed coffee when all he really wanted was a moment to himself. He needed to think and to breathe and somehow, stuck inside the white walls full of strangers, he didn't think any chance of peace would be possible there. Besides, he couldn't take sitting around waiting for news anymore. It was tedious and the longer it dragged on, the more on edge he felt.

It was an unpleasant feeling. No, actually, if Peter was being honest—it was a crappy feeling.

Walking through the halls of the hospital not entirely too far away from the ER, Peter found himself moving past a lobby and then a small gift shop. It was hard not to notice, seeing the displays of teddy bears, the rack of cards and posters of sunny sweet cartoons and flowers. It was the place for well-wishers, the place to buy cute little things to put into the whitewash walls to liven up such a gloomy place and Peter knew a thing or two about the effects of a thoughtful gift for someone stuck in a hospital for days on end.

It worked for him, at least, so then again maybe it was more personal opinion than anything—not that a permanently damaged shoulder could be helped by a stuffed bear but it amused him some, at least. Good humor and laughter helped with recovery, from what he heard, but then that could just be crap too.

Peter made a mental note to ask his usual source for such things lately, only to stop short when he realized said source was currently indisposed.

Megan.

Brilliant, talented, arrogant and pain in the ass Megan Hunt—those were just some of the few things he heard about the infamous Medical Examiner when he transferred to the Philly Medical Examiner's Office. By then, she'd been an ME for the city for almost a couple of years and it took even less time than that for her name to spread like wildfire through the ranks.

She was good, she was a meddler, unlike the usual meat cutters who stayed in the relative safety of their labs and forwarded their findings when they could. She was the one who actually went out and looked for answers, talking to families and basically made butting in a self-appointed profession. Peter had heard of the 'bitch on heels', as some had labeled her, describing her as pretty, beautiful even, with a good pair of legs that looked good in those designer skirts, dresses and altitude-defining heels she wore to crime scenes with her red hair and the attitude to match—the latter being the woman's main flaw.

Attractive, but a pain to deal with and cops could spark an interest at first glance but have her as your ME and you can kiss that little possibility goodbye. Colder than the bodies she examined, they said, and she didn't know what the hell backing down meant. She already had one veteran cop come close to shooting her himself, but she got the job done so there was really little anyone could do.

Peter had been cautioned, told that maybe he should try rehab again, have his shoulder checked one more time because you never know with medicine these days. He was a realist though and he had discovered something new about himself and his fondness for medicine. He transferred—despite the protests and gentle pull of his comrades—to the ME's office, trading in his blues for a bigger office, a camera and a kit that consisted of cotton swabs, vials, dusting powder, gloves and other forensic tools. Hey, at least he still had his gun, right?

He worked with three other ME's before Kate assigned him to Dr. Megan Hunt who had, coincidentally, lost her own investigator after he transferred to the next county. It hadn't been a good day to begin a partnership with a pile-up on the highway and the bodies just streaming endlessly through the doors. Their introduction was brief, curt and prickly with Megan's face partially covered by the large hood of her raincoat, dressed in a jumpsuit underneath, wading through the standstill of the traffic on the highway under a light rain.

Peter would soon later she rarely did this kind of grunt work unless it was absolutely, absolutely necessary. That night, the destruction was enough to have all hands on deck.

Being an emergency situation and in a very open location, it had been loud too so Peter had to yell his name as well as why he was suddenly attached to her hip. She yelled back only it wasn't her name and instead asked—demanded, really—for a spare glove having ripped hers. He followed, handing her a pair and she delegated him to photos, take three of that, this, and the next four and the rest.

It didn't take long for Peter to have everything and more revealed to him that day alone because like a prophecy foretold, he found that the things he'd heard about the infamous ME had been indeed true. She was snarky, sarcastic and summed him up easily with a glance when they finally got back to the office and changed, ready for her first autopsy.

A few times, he was pretty sure she called him Paul but brushed it off. He didn't think she was doing it on purpose and they were in the middle of something even more important.

Megan predicted with a smirk he wasn't going to last more than a year with her—she's seen tougher, but she wasn't about to complain. She did her work well with or without a partner anyway and she was fine. She knew about his shoulder too so a brief inquiry followed just outside the autopsy room.

She surprised him by her seeming lack of consciousness when it came to personal space because before he knew it, she was reaching for his shoulder that had been injured and started prodding him, asking one question after another so fast, he could barely keep up answering, let alone tell her off for touching him so brazenly and without consent.

Megan pulled back as swiftly as she came, telling him to ice it that night because it was going to be sore after today. He was still reeling for the sudden invasion and simply nodded and muttered an answer, following her as she made her way into the suite without another word.

But when his mind did catch up, Peter could not help glancing at his shoulder then asked with a hint of annoyance, "What the hell was that?"

"Just a quick feel," she shrugged then rolled her eyes when he simply gave her a look, "Relax. I'm a doctor. I read your file and read about your injury and checked it out for myself. Trust me, I wasn't copping a feel. Don't give yourself so much credit."

"Sorry, didn't know," he shrugged, "Wasn't aware you have some experience with live bodies as well."

The Medical Examiner gave him the first real smile he'd seen from her that told him she was more laughing internally at him than _with him_ at that point and said simply, "Some."

And after that—and a hell of a turbulent couple of months—the rest was history.

Peter hadn't realized he'd been smiling then, remembering the first time he'd met Megan. That wasn't a particularly special way to meet, but it had been interesting, to say the least. She was everything he'd been told she would be, but at the same time, it was less than what she actually was. He had seen for himself what was underneath the prickly personality, the lack of need to play nice and the expensive clothes and ridiculously high heels.

Megan was dedicated, loyal and was someone who had fallen from grace so hard, she had gone back to zero, relearning lessons and even newer things about life. Academically and medically, she was brilliant but dealing with people? She sucked and it never stopped being ironic to Peter how she was learning to be a better human being through the bodies that were laid down on her table day after day.

"The daisies are pretty."

Peter looked down, finding himself no longer alone standing in front of the gift shop now that a girl who could not be older than five had seemingly crept up on him. She had a full head of curly blonde hair, the ringlets falling messily slightly over her eyes and cheeks, clutching a teddy bear of her own to her chest and wrapped in a thick pink coat and slippers.

"You like daisies?" he smiled despite himself.

"Uh-huh," she nodded and the curls on her head bounced, "I like flowers."

"I bet you do."

The girl moved toward the shop, her bear clutched to her chest and Peter followed, checking the area for any parent who the child might have wandered off from. Finding none, he decided it best to stick with her and see if she knew where exactly she _should _be.

She pressed her face against the glass cooler that stored the flowers and sure enough, her eyes were glued to the delicate daisies inside. "Mommy gots a lot of flowers in her room but no daisies, just pink and yellow stuff."

The clear frown on the girl's face told Peter enough that she greatly disapproved of the gaffe and couldn't help but smile at the version of disdain the girl mustered.

"Your mommy must be very happy then," he replied.

"Mhm, but not just 'cause she gots flowers," the girl shrugged, "She gots a baby. I have a new sister."

Peter smiled, "That's nice. You get to be a big sister and you have someone to play with."

The girl pulled back from the glass and with her big blue eyes, gave him a frown, "Babies are stupid."

"Not all babies," he pointed out, "And, hey, with you as her sister, maybe you can teach her not to be stupid, you know? Be a cool baby."

The girl stared at him for a moment then turned towards the glass, "I s'pose…"

Peter smiled, "There you go. You know, I have three sisters. And they are all cool."

"Really?" the girl looked up at him in wonder, her eyes looking bluer than before.

"Yep," he smiled, "They taught me how to be cool."

"That's nice," she smiled happily, "Why are you here? Do you gots a baby too?"

"Uh, no," he chuckled, "A…friend of mine got hurt and I'm waiting to hear if she's okay,"

"Oh," the girl said, pursing her lips lightly with a pause, "Why don't you buy her daisies? They're nice."

"Well, I don't know if my friend likes flowers."

"Everyone likes flowers."

"Maybe," he smiled, "Are you getting your mommy daisies? Is that why you're here?"

"Nope," she shrugged, "I gots no money. I wanted to pick some outside but Aunty Mel said no."

Peter nodded slowly, "Tell you what…how about you help me pick something for my friend and I help you get your mommy daisies?"

"Really?" the girl's eye lit up.

"Yeah," he smiled, "Do you think a bear would be a nice idea?"

The girl looked down on hers then smiled, "Yeah! This is Mr. Scuffles and he's my best friend…maybe your friend would like a best friend too?"

Peter looked at the array of bears, "I think she might. Why don't you go pick one out?"

"Okay!" the girl headed off to pick a bear and Peter turned to the attendant, motioning for the daisies and paid for it and whatever the cost of the bear may be. He didn't know what he was actually going to do with it, but the kid was cute and he honestly owed her for lifting his spirits a little.

By the time the girl had returned, she was carrying both Mr. Scruffles and a bear dressed up in a white coat and a toy stethoscope hanging around his neck. He was brown like Mr. Scruffles with a darker brown nose. She presented it to him with a happy smile and said, "Maybe Mr. Doctor can fix up your friend and she won't be hurt no more."

"That's a very smart and thoughtful idea," Peter smiled, "Thank you and here you go…"

He handed her the daisies, which was enough to make her squeal happily, bouncing on her little feet and burying her nose into the flowers.

"KELSEY!"

"Aunty Mel!"

A rather harried woman swept through the shop and picked up the girl in one fell swoop, "I told you not to leave the room! My god, you scared me!" She spotted the flowers the girl was trying hard to keep away from her to avoid having them crushed, "Where did you get those?"

"My new friend!" the girl pointed happily to Peter.

"Oh!" the woman said, surprised, obviously she missed him in her haste, "I'm sorry if she was bothering you. Kelsey likes to wander off sometimes, it just takes decade after decade off my life."

"It's fine," Peter smiled, "Kelsey was just helping me out pick a present for my friend."

"Oh, that's nice," Aunt Mel smiled, "How much do we owe you for—"

He shook his head, "No need. Kelsey did a great job picking a gift for me. A little quid pro quo seems appropriate."

She smiled, "Well, thank you. But we have to be getting back now." She smiled at her niece, "Say thank you and g'bye Kels."

"Thank you! Bye-bye," the girl beamed, waving as her aunt carted her away.

Peter smiled back, waving as the girl continued to wave over her aunt's shoulder, Mr. Scruffles hugged to her chest and her daisies safely in hand.

And once more, he was left there, standing outside the gift shop only this time he wasn't entirely alone.

Peter now had Mr. Doctor with him and he was wondering if perhaps it wouldn't be the worst idea to actually give him to the friend he'd been thinking about. He thought about the possibility of it being a helpful way to have it be a step towards making Megan feel better, as little Kelsey suggested. Then he remembered while he wasn't sure of Megan's floral preferences, he wasn't sure about what she thought of stuffed toys too.

He sighed, clutching the bear in one hand and left the front of the shop, heading back towards the hall leading to the ER. A teddy bear could only go so far and Peter knew he might need to do a hell of a lot better than that to make up for what happened between them. Last he heard, the Middle East wasn't settling things with teddy bears and cabbage patch dolls.

Holding Mr. Doctor against him, Peter decided he'd been gone long enough and made his way back, hoping there would be news on his partner by now.

And maybe then he would know what to do with Mr. Doctor because the more he thought about it, the stupider he felt. He wondered if Little Kelsey was open to giving Mr. Scruffles a new little brother of his own.

So much for bright ideas.

-o0o-

"Detective Morris! Detective Baker!"

Bud rolled his eyes, stopping as Sam turned around to find a uniform running after them. They had just finished on the seventh floor and were now heading to the hospital.

"Rivers? What? We're heading to the hospital, Reyes's got the place locked," Sam said, gesturing with her hands slightly with a look that demanded this interruption be made quick.

"There's a problem outside."

"Reporters? Just extend the perimeter and tell them to back the hell up or they gonna be chasing those deadlines through metal bars." She smirked, "Don't forget to mention prison ain't got wifi."

"No," the uniformed cop shook his head, "There's a man downstairs, demanding to be let in but without any credentials and—"

"Who is it?"

"A man," Rivers replied, "Civilian. He's demanding to know where the victim—"

Bud's voice cut through sharply, "That's Dr. Hunt to you, Rivers!"

"Er, he wants to know where _Dr. Hunt_ is and Dr. Murphy said we're not to release any—" the newbie was obviously flustered now, his eyes darting between the partners and entirely unsure who to be more afraid of.

"What man?" Sam asked. If the guy was bothering an active crime scene, why not throw his ass in lock up to cool down? This was kid stuff and they need to get to the hospital.

"Let them handle it, Sam, we gotta go," Bud moved forward, practically growling as he pulled his keys out.

"Detective? He said he was Dr. Hunt's boyfriend."

Sam had been in the process following Bud, only to turn around and face the newbie again, "What?"

"He-he said he was her—"

"Name?"

Rivers flipped open his notes, "Aiden Wells. What—"

Sam nodded, "I'll deal with it. He's outside?"

Rivers shook his head, "He just parked his truck out front and we did tell him to move it by the way but he won't listen. We had to bring him inside because we didn't want him to make a scene in front of the reporters."

"Yeah, alright, Rivers," Sam nodded, tapping her partner on the shoulder before moving past the young cop, "We're on it."

"Boyfriend?" Bud echoed, "Megan?"

"I think it's something about a gardener," Sam muttered, "Kate mentioned it once but last I heard, he was out of town."

"Clearly not anymore," Bud muttered, not bothering to ask if she was serious about the 'gardener' part. "And nobody called him…?"

"Maybe not," Sam shrugged, "And the shit's hit the fan already—this is all over the news. Must have picked it up there. Damn."

The detectives moved towards the front of the Philadelphia County Medical Center where the main lobby was filled with uniforms. Beyond the glass walls, the reporters and cameras Rivers mentioned could easily be spotted, crowding in on the police tape that had been set several feet away from the doors, all of them trying to get as much as they could which was a whole lot of nothing. The ranks were closing in already because in a way, this had involved one of their own and while Megan Hunt may not have been a cop and had butted heads with a few of them, they still recognized her as someone from their side and treated the situation the way they would had it been one their comrades in blue.

And both Bud and Sam had already heard the Captain making calls and rolling out instructions himself, which was a signal throughout the ranks just how important the matter at hand was. It wasn't unusual, but it was worth a thought as well, considering—either the Mayor had gotten to him or Megan Hunt had managed to form some kind of a connection with Captain Jim Perkins during the course of the Eddie Castillo case.

Standing with a couple of other uniforms, Sam easily spotted the man who did not fit in the crowd dressed in a black bomber jacket, gray shirt and jeans. He was fit and ruggedly handsome with his tense jaw, fierce blue eyes and casually mussed hair. If he was a gardener and was doing some gardening for Megan Hunt, Sam wouldn't be surprised if things progressed from there—the man was incredibly attractive, even while obviously in distress.

"We'll take it from here," Sam said, dismissing the other uniforms with a slight nod while Bud stood back, watching closely.

"I'm sorry—they're still asking me about—" he stopped, shaking his head slightly and wiped the side of his face with one hand, looking around before closing his eyes. He had a thick English accent and Sam wasn't sure if it was more pronounced due to stress or that was how he normally sounded. He was troubled, understandably so, and she didn't doubt who he was but would prefer to confirm first.

"What can we do for you, sir?" Sam decided it was best she take the lead on this one while her partner was in full bear mode. It had started with worrying about his wife, but now she was sure it had extended to the situation with Megan Hunt as well.

"My name is Aiden Wells and I'm-I'm seeing Megan Hunt and I heard something happened here. I can't reach her and I don't know anyone else so I'm wondering if I could just—"

"Mr. Wells," Sam held up a hand, glancing at Bud to see him looking at Aiden Welles with a curious look on his face, "Right now, we're not releasing information about what happened here, but—"

"Please," Aiden said, "I've called her a hundred times and she won't pick up and I'm worried. Even more so now because I thought it was just some incident but seeing all this? This…is not good."

Bud cleared his throat, "It's not. Uh, Mr. Wells?"

"Aiden," he turned to the burly detective, hopeful.

"There _was _an incident and it did involve your…it involved Dr. Hunt," Bud paused, "She's been brought to the hospital and is receiving urgent care."

"Hospital? Urgent care?" Aiden looked even more troubled, running a hand through his hair and then over his mouth, "How-how badly is she hurt? Who did it? Is she alright?"

Sam stepped in, "We can't release information right now, but—"

"I talked to her this morning," he suddenly said, looking at Sam and she could see the guilt and confusion there, "She sounded…odd. I knew there was something going on, but she wouldn't tell me. She's good like that, you know—making me pry things out of her, but this time she wouldn't budge and I told her I was coming back tonight but she didn't say anything. God, what happened? I want to see her, please. Please?"

"We're going to the hospital to get an update, if you'd—"

Aiden cut in, "Which hospital?"

"Franklin Memor—" Bud stopped as the younger man immediately turned and ran, heading for the doors, "Mr. Wells!"

The Englishman didn't even slow down, turning around without warning, pushing past another uniformed officer and headed straight to the doors.

"Mr. Wells!" Sam almost followed, only to have her partner stop her. Uniforms turned to watch but seeing as the detectives were not actively pursuing the man, they let him pass.

"Let him go," Bud said, shrugging slightly, "We're heading that way. He's serious and worried and you can't blame him if he really cares for the doc. Let's just go there and sort things out if we have to." He checked his watch, "Personally, if that was me and it's Jeannie, I'd be flying by now."

They watched as reporters tried to follow Aiden Wells, shoving microphones and recorders in his face but he slipped through them like a pro. He jumped into his truck—which he had indeed parked messily as close to the door as he could get with the vans and police cars out front—and Bud and Sam didn't even blink as he drove off.

After seeing him gone, Sam glanced at her partner who seemed more interested in the vultures gathered outside. "Bud?"

He snapped to attention, as if he had been someplace else and cleared his throat before speaking, "Yeah?"

"Got something on your mind?"

"Nothing," he shook his head, the pitch climbing a little in his voice in an obvious tell. She gave him a look that said she wasn't buying it so he shrugged, "Just thinking about the big top."

Sam didn't hide her confusion, "Say what?"

Bud shook his head, "Nothing. Come on, let's go. Least we can do for the doc is make sure pretty boy gets there in one piece."

His partner smirked, "Pretty boy?"

"What?"

"Nothing," she chuckled as they made their way to the garage, "Just wondering if you'll be calling him that in front of Megan."

"Maybe," he grinned, "I mean, come on, he looks like a Ken doll."

"Got a problem with Ken dolls?"

"Nope, not at all," he replied but since Sam Baker was not born yesterday, she saw that for what it was—utter crap but it was funny so she chuckled at the very least.

This was cop humor showing now—dark and covered with the subtlest affection. It was a coping mechanism, the best one for people in their line of work.

Gallows humor helped stopped them from burning out, from being eaten alive by the job and until someone could find a pill or some abracadabra-something, that was the best they had. It was hard enough facing death every day, not knowing if you would be saying good night to the people you said good morning to that morning but to have it gnaw at you while you wallow in it and think, think, think then they might as well screw retirement plans because there were very little chances cops would make it to the age requirement.

So instead of letting each other respectively sink into whatever dark hole lingered at the edges concerning the matter of Megan Hunt and Wilson Polley, the partners were going to work in tandem to make sure the other stayed afloat. They had each other's back and that included making sure the other didn't drown in unnecessary guilt and remorse.

Even without saying the words, both knew the other was carrying the weight of the night's events. It was different with Megan Hunt because she was the Medical Examiner, the 'ghoul', the meat cutter—they came _after_ the bodies were found. She wasn't supposed to be in the line of fire and was not supposed to sport the same long, long list of job hazards as cops. Granted she took risks herself, this time was different because Megan had _not_ gone out and looked for trouble—she was attacked because she had been left vulnerable and both Bud and Sam knew they'd let their guards down at the wrong time.

Polley had been an active threat and no matter what trackers said, it should not have mattered because he was _still_ out there at the time and they'd allowed themselves to be put in a false sense of security. It was shoddy work at best and both detectives will be carrying that for a while yet.

"Boy, you are asking for a world of hurt if you're even _thinking_ about checking out that Ken doll," Sam shook her head and gave him a warning look, maintaining levity in the middle of the maelstrom, "He's not yours. You can't play with him."

"I wouldn't," Bud defended then shrugged, looking ahead to avoid seeing the shit-eating grin he knew was coming. Might as well bite the bullet, "But if a friend of mine just _happens_ to know a thing or two—"

Sam laughed and he just _knew_ the shit-eating grin was on full view, "Yeah, you're having a girl Morris—you already got this whole 'Daddy-with-a-shotgun' thing going on."

Bud groaned, "Stop, I'm already getting nightmares."

"Just one thing though—" the entered the garage together, bypassing a few more uniforms and the few other parked vans the ME office used.

"What?"

"Don't let the doc see you pulling any of that," Sam advised, "'Cause you know she'll hand you your ass for that. On a platter."

Bud smirked, "Nah, she likes me now."

"I wouldn't push it."

"No, really, she does!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say," Sam snorted, "But if your kid asks me one day why Daddy walks funny and why he can't have a little brother or sister, you know I'm gon' be telling no lies."

Bud winced, looking at his partner with a pained expression.

Sam could not resist, "And yeah, I'm talking about the woman who cuts up _testicles _for a living as procedure."

"Jesus," it was unavoidable feeling the slightest sting down there at the very thought. It was all in his head, of course, but it sure as hell didn't make it sting less.

"Sectioned testicles," Sam chuckled as she rounded the front of the unmarked sedan they were using, "Sounds almost like something you'd find in a meat shop, huh?"

Bud winced again and growled, "Oh, give me the damn keys!"

Sam tossed them to him with a loud laugh of her own, completely unfazed by what was basically the stink eye coming from her partner.

"And there's that clown face again."

"Rare form tonight, Baker."

Sam snorted, "That's how I roll, partner."


	3. Chapter 3

**Note: **thank you for the reviews and those who have me on alerts as well! Hope you enjoy the new chapter. Also, I checked for Aiden Wells' name—on the listings, it's Aiden with and E, but on the episode where he friended Megan, it was with an A. But since I've already used _Aiden with an E_ here, I decided to stick with it. Bothers me a little, but I hope it works either way.

Also, I read a bit of the article that Joan showed Megan—the one with the same photo she used for her campaign so I took some details off of that and used it. Can't promise I read some parts right though—it was not an easy task! Yikes.

**EDIT: **I had to rewrite a few paragraphs after realizing a glaring mistake—Aiden and Joan most likely could have met already during Lacey's hospitalization so I had to change a few things. Before, I'd written things as if they'd never seen each other in person before but in _Identity_ Aiden had been with Megan when she arrived at the hospital. It doesn't affect the story, just me fixing the timetable in my head—I just had to correct this particular mistake. My apologies if anyone was inconvenienced.

* * *

**CHAPTER THREE  
**

Joan Hunt has been blessed with a good memory.

To make it through law school, that was crucial and having that particular trait in her arsenal, it helped her immensely. Joan was someone who had been raised to discover, cultivate and utilize her skills and she did so effectively—graduating at the top of her class in Yale, clerking for a High Court Judge and building her career in between raising a family, losing a husband, becoming a single mother to a twelve-year-old and going on to become a Judge.

It wasn't all about memorizing this law or that, but damn if it wasn't a heavy factor in it.

But then, having a good memory isn't always the best thing, she'd long ago decided. Not that the things she remembered and made her think of this particular thought were things she could just choose to forget. No, some things were just too great not to be burned into your mind for the rest of your life. As is with like so many others, it's not always a matter of choice.

Joan remembers that day in the year 1977 clearly and painfully, barely a month after her appointment as Assistant District Attorney. She didn't have to read the police reports or news articles from that year to remember it had been a Thursday when not only her life but as well as her daughter's suffered a shattering blow that left a gaping hole in their lives that to this day still existed.

Her husband, her brilliant, wonderful and amazing husband, loaded the gun she'd forgotten he even had and shot himself in the head one morning. He did it right there in the master bedroom—_their_ bedroom—where his blood and brain matter and god knew what else scattered when the bullet pierced his right temple with deathly precision. A fatal shot to the head and he died instantly, too fast for his mind to even register the pain.

It only took one shot and David Hunt was gone, taking with him the life as his wife and daughter knew it, never to be the same again.

Their housekeeper had found him that afternoon, having finished with the first floor of their house and moved on to the second. She started in the master bedroom, the way she often did and found him on the floor of the bedroom, facedown and it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out it was too late with the dried blood spattered on the bed, the walls and floors. Beside him was the gun he used to end his life.

By the time the police arrived around three o'clock that afternoon, the only need for the ambulance was for the distraught housekeeper who had fainted during questioning, too hysterical to answer straight, too distraught to speak and breathe in enough oxygen.

Shortly after, Megan arrived from school, books in hand and completely unprepared, walking back into the life she didn't know had changed in ways she was far too young to be ready for, let alone understand.

And while all this went on, Joan had been in a meeting. Nobody knew where she was, only that she had gone out of her office to meet with someone pertaining to a massive case she had been handling in the last week. She had been at a diner not too far from the edge of the city, meeting with a woman who was on the verge of testifying and fleeing at the same time. At the time, Joan was in the middle of trying to get her to stay and say yes without having to force her with a court order.

She arrived back in her office at three-thirty that day, exhilarated by her little victory after penciling in another witness successfully. Joan had been so distracted, she hadn't noticed the looks she was receiving as she passed, heading straight for her office.

It had been her secretary who first got her to notice the looks she was getting, crying into a napkin and blubbering for a moment before leading her into her office where a police officer was waiting. Next to him was her boss who was also a friend.

The first thought that came to mind was someone involved in her case, maybe even the plaintiff of the case, had died. But that thought changed when her boss said with that face so full of pity, guilt and so many other jumble of emotions, "Joan…Joan, I'm so sorry."

First name—then alarm bells started screaming from every corner in her mind.

Her exhilaration and good mood disappeared as she stood there, frozen on the spot at the threshold of her office. Her heart had begun to beat harshly and the pounding filled her ears to an almost deafening level, her hands suddenly felt clammy and there was a painful clench in her stomach that almost knocked her down. It felt like someone had reached in there and just squeezed and twisted her insides like it was a toy. Something was wrong, incredibly wrong.

Wide-eyed and near trembling, the first thing that came out of her mouth in a breathless whisper was, "Megan."

She was so sure something had happened to her daughter, her baby, who since even before her promotion she felt she had been neglecting. That had been the point for the New York trip the week prior, to assuage the mounting guilt she was feeling in between the joys and celebration of her career milestone—spend some time with her husband and child before the crushing reality of her job engulfed her once more. No rest for the wicked, as they said.

Then she found out it wasn't her daughter, "No, not Megan, Joan…it's David."

Joan knew she did not have a perfect marriage but she had thought they'd been happy, at least. David was a professor who loved his job and had a brilliant mind with an intellect that knew no bounds. He had a great sense of humor and had that kind of quality that made people instantly like him, gravitate towards him.

If anything, looking back—even now—Joan never saw a sign that said someday, her husband might sit in their bedroom and blow his brains out all over the soft peach colored duvet that covered their bed. There had been no fights, no raised voices, no lapses of silence or awkward moments to point to the troubles that may or may not have been lurking around them.

David was complex, incredibly so, but he was also open in a lot of ways. He liked a good joke, he had no fears to speak of and he adored his daughter to pieces. His whole world was Megan, his little carbon copy from his impish grin to the pale Irish skin dusted with soft freckles. She was his greatest joy, his little brilliant angel.

He had proclaimed the first time he gazed into those hazel eyes (that he proudly claimed were most definitely a Hunt's) someday she was going to make a difference in the world. From the moment he had set eyes on her, she had captured him and never let go and he adored her as she adored him, ever the Daddy's girl from that day on 'til the end.

And David doted on her each and every chance he could, though by no means did he spoil her—not while Joan was around—and he lavished upon her the gifts, knowledge and intellectual troves he possessed. Megan had been his prize and he taught her so much, right from the moment her young mind could understand him, and he enjoyed nothing more than teaching his child.

His daughter was going to be someone someday, someone incredible and he was going to make sure she would get there. David Hunt knew from the beginning his daughter was special.

And she was the same daughter he kissed goodbye that fateful Thursday morning and orphaned only hours after.

Joan remembered that day painfully all too well.

Coming home to a house full of cops, only to realize they had no clue where her twelve-year-old daughter was, Joan had nearly lost her mind then. Megan would be distraught she knew, devastated, lost and heaven knew what else and she had rushed home to be with her.

But when Joan arrived, desperate to be with her child, Megan was nowhere to be found. _Where is she? What do you mean you can't find her? Where is she? What have you done with my daughter? Megan! How can you lose a twelve-year-old? A house full of cops! Where is my child? Megan!_

Joan died that day, she knew, and it was not because of David, no—he had merely shattered a piece of her, smashed into tiny million irreparable pieces. It had been their daughter who killed her.

She had felt her heart skip for a long tortuous second when she realized they really did not know where her child was, the tightening in her chest frightening for a moment if she had been capable of noticing. But she had been too frantic, calling for her daughter, fighting the policeman who tried to block her from the stairs, saying there was no way Megan could have gone up there. But what did they know? They lost her daughter, how could they be sure? She pushed past him, storming up and barely saw the state of their bedroom as she searched for her daughter.

Joan did not see the blood, did not see the once pristine walls spattered with that grotesque shade of red in the most macabre patterns. She just saw her daughter gone.

Empty bedroom, empty guestroom, empty bathrooms and the attic remained closed. _Where is she? Not Megan, please God, not Megan. Don't take Megan away. I can't lose both of them. I can't lose Megan. Please God, no, don't take her from me too._

A search team was suddenly formed out of the uniformed cops that were there and soon, even the Captain of the Philadelphia Police Department arrived, everyone searching high and low for the missing girl, last seen wearing her school uniform, white tights and black shoes.

The books she had been carrying after she arrived home she never picked up after dropping them and other than that there had been no other trace of her. Joan's heart threatened to give out, she could not breathe and she died a few more little deaths with each second, each minute, each hour she could not find Megan.

On that same day, she began to hate her husband as well and there would be no peace from that, not for him, not for her.

She loved David Hunt every day she spent with him, loved him the moment she saw him, loved him when he became her husband. She hated him in death, in his bloody, gruesome, selfish death. He took himself away, took the coward's way out for god only knew what reason and at the same time, tore a piece of Joan away and _then _shattered the daughter he claimed to love.

_Goddamn you, David, goddamn you. How could you do this? David, what were you thinking? David. Oh, god, David. What have you done? You goddamn…David? Oh, god, David. David. Where's Megan? Where is my daughter? God, please don't. Please. Not her, not my baby._

How do you forgive something like that? David had ruined their lives, ruined the world that was supposed to keep their child safe from evil, from harm. God knows Joan tried to put herself in his place, tried to imagine what would make it okay to hurt your family in such an irreparable way? What would make it acceptable? What was worse than losing the one you love to such a violent, confusing, disturbing death?

Did he even think about them in those last seconds? Did he consider what consequences his actions would leave behind? Did he care? Had David even considered he might destroy Megan with what he was planning to do? Didn't he realize the damage he was inflicting on his wife and daughter?

Joan hated her husband in death and while in time her anger may have gone down to a simmer, she could not forgive. How could she when even now, after decades past, she would still see the same haunted look on Megan's face every now and then? The same look on her twelve-year-old face when she woke up to Joan pulling her into her arms and realized that no, she had not dreamt any of it, her father was really gone and she would never see him again, never hug him, never hear him laugh or teach her something new.

No words would ever be able to describe the relief Joan felt when she found her in David's shed and nothing, not even time, would ever make her forget the way Megan looked when she finally found her in her father's shed.

Curled up on their old couch with a heavy blanket pulled right up to her cheeks and fast asleep, even in the dim light from the lamp Megan left on, her mother saw the trace of dried tears on her pale skin. She looked small as if by some unfathomable occurrence she had shrunk since she'd pulled the girl from bed that morning and Joan's heart felt as if it would burst right then. _Megan, my god. Oh, Megan. Thank god. Thank god. My baby. Thank god._

Joan had never thought David was selfish, until then. After his death, no one had ever come close to being as selfish as David Hunt in her entire lifetime. And that hasn't changed.

Some days, she would still find herself wishing she could forget him, forget the hurt, forget the pain, forget the questions. It would be so much easier, she imagined, but then her mind would remind her that what David had done had shaped her, made her stronger, made her the person she was now. And it wasn't just her.

Everything—the loss, the devastation, the ugly reality of it all, had also shaped their daughter. It made Megan who she was today.

And in all honesty, Joan can't imagine her any other way and didn't want to. Megan, for all her flaws, for all the walls she built around herself, was the daughter Joan loved with all her heart—despite what Megan might think otherwise. She was strong, she was smart, as incredibly brave as she was stubborn and she had a good heart—everything Joan hoped she would be.

Joan was immensely proud of her daughter, proud not just of her accomplishments, but also the way she could pick herself up whenever life threw her down. Megan was resilient and stronger than her mother could ever imagine herself to be. She may not be and will never be the best mother and despite what Megan may feel towards her, Joan knew she was at least a successful one.

Because flaws and all, Megan was a better person than Joan was with an incredible capacity to love—though she may not know it yet—and to live.

She would forever hang on to that because while David may have opened their child's eyes to the wonders of the world, Joan had helped Megan learn to survive it and taught her to _live_ and never give up.

And to Joan, that was most important.

"Grandma?"

She looked down, finding her granddaughter looking at her as she sat next to her, their hands clasped together on her lap, "Lace?"

Brown eyes, beautiful brown eyes—her father's, not a Hunt's but beautiful still though it did not lessen the resemblance Lacey had to her mother at that age. She was Megan, even without the hazel eyes or the pale Irish skin.

"Is mom going to be okay?" hesitation, fear, anxiety and sadness and she knew the girl almost didn't ask the question, most likely afraid of the answer but she soldiered on anyway. She was so much like Megan.

Joan placed a kiss on top of her head, inhaling her soft scent the same way she used to do with her daughter—would still do if she was ever allowed that close again. Lacey smelled of something soft, something floral, like Megan, but softer—the scent of innocence, maybe? Joan was getting sentimental at her age it seemed, but she didn't care.

She looked at Lacey, taking in those brown eyes again and said without a trace of doubt, "She's going to be okay, Lace. Your mother is going to be okay. She won't give up."

"But—" Lacey eyes drifted to the front of the ER, "Is that Aiden?"

Joan looked up, spotting and recognizing immediately the two detectives who worked with her daughter. She didn't fail to notice the man with them though, dressed in a black jacket and a gray shirt. She recognized him both from his profile photo and that night when Lacey had been hospitalized. It had been a hectic time and in the midst of trying to calm her daughter long enough to breathe properly while making sure her granddaughter was indeed alright, she didn't think she managed to pay any actual attention to man Megan had arrived with. He had been polite though, wonderful even and it was either he wasn't aware of what Joan had done that day on that social networking site or he was too much of a gentleman to mention it. But knowing Megan though, she thought the latter would be a far greater possibility.

She had yet to have an actual conversation with him but she had seen how he had handled Megan then when she'd come so close to a meltdown after Lacey's diagnosis had been revealed. Megan had been so shaken she hadn't spoken for a long while and just stood there, her hand over her mouth, pale and trembling. And like a true gentlemen, Aiden had stood beside her and didn't push her to speak and had, instead, waited her out until she was ready.

Joan had been fully aware how long Megan had been in a relationship with the man by then and she had been impressed. She hadn't quite seen a anyone handle her daughter properly like that or at least have an inkling as how to do so in such a short period of time. Joan remembered how it was when Megan had been with Todd who was more the type to push and Joan knew—and eventually so did Todd—no one ever got far with her daughter when pushed or backed into a corner.

It didn't hurt also that Aiden Wells was good looking, but it was mostly his seemingly effortless way with Megan that had Joan approving of him. She would probably never vocalize this thought, not knowing how Megan might react to it so wisely, she considered it best not to do anything.

From a across the floor, listening as Detective Morris speak with someone from reception, Aiden Wells looked just as good in everyday clothes as he did wearing a tux, even though Joan could see deep concern and distress on his handsome face. She studied him and apparently had been doing so quite intently as she had failed to notice Kate Murphy making her way towards the new arrivals.

"Aiden? You know that guy, Lace?" Todd's interest reached her ears while he was doing a horrible job of hiding it.

"Mhm," his daughter nodded, "He's the guy mom's been seeing."

"Oh," Todd said, nodding slightly, "Right. I think I've seen him somewhere…"

Lacey glanced at her grandmother who smiled a little and shrugged. Joan had no problem with Todd. If anything, during his marriage to Megan, she tended to agree more with him than she ever did with her daughter. But then she knew about Aiden too—she had orchestrated it, after all, and Megan did explain how he knew her—and decided this was best left to Lacey.

"You have," the girl said, "He's the guy who did our pool."

"Our pool? What—the _landscape guy_?" Todd asked, obviously surprised. "_My_ landscape guy?"

"His name is Aiden and mom really likes him," Lacey said and Joan could not figure out if she failed to notice her father's reaction or she pretended not to notice. "He's a good guy."

"Oh," Todd stopped, seeing as his daughter seemed to approve of the man. His landscape guy—the guy who did their pool. "Okay then."

Dr. Megan Hunt, his high maintenance ex-wife, the same woman who enjoyed designer clothes, shoes and bags and enjoyed French foreign films, was dating a landscape guy. The guy who put in pools, fixed sprinklers and did god knew what else. Somehow, Todd couldn't picture it. And wasn't she dating some tall, dark FBI guy?

Todd caught Joan Hunt looking at him and must have seen something on his face. She merely smiled at him so he shrugged, though he really didn't know what to do or say.

Who his ex-wife dated really wasn't any of his business, but then again, he _was_ allowed to be curious, right?

-o0o-

"Hey."

Bud looked up and saw Kate heading towards them. Sam thanked the woman behind the counter and they, along with the man Megan Hunt was seeing, met her halfway.

"Did you guys find…" Kate trailed off, shaking her head slightly, "Anything?"

"A lot of things but Krakowski and Reyes are handling the case," Bud answered, "Clean up's going to take work, doc."

Sam jumped in with a nod, "Any news on Megan?"

"Not yet," Kate answered then looked at the man behind them.

Sam noticed, "Doc, this is Aiden Wells, he's—"

"We've sort of met," Kate smiled, reaching forward to shake the man's hand, "Kate Murphy. Megan failed to introduce us at her office once before, I think."

"I remember," the man said, "Dr. Murphy. It's nice to officially meet you. Megan's told me a lot about you and," he looked at the detectives, "The people she works with. Aiden Wells."

Kate smiled, "I'm…surprised, but that's good to know."

Aiden nodded then looked behind her slightly, "Is Megan alright? May I see her?"

"Oh, not yet," Kate answered, glancing at Bud and Sam, "We're expecting some news soon and if you'd like, you can sit with me and Megan's family."

"Is that her mum?" Aiden asked, curious.

Kate glanced behind her then nodded, "Uh, yes, that's Megan's mother."

"We've met," Aiden said, glancing at the woman again with an odd look on his face as if he wasn't sure whether to wince or smile. It hadn't been the best time to meet his girlfriend's mother who also happened to be quite formidable. "Though not in the best of...settings."

"Sensing a story there," Kate mumbled, remembering her own interesting first meet with the older woman and led the way with Bud bringing up the rear.

Aiden finally found himself facing Joan Hunt once more, the woman whom Megan had insisted had been the one he'd chatted with that day. He knew about the relationship between the two but he couldn't fault the woman for much, seeing as she'd led him to Megan. Next to her was Lacey who smiled at him a little, looking sad though a lot healthier than she did the day from when he last saw her in the hospital room.

Kate took over introductions, introducing Joan and Aiden again and as well Todd, who by that point was standing against the wall. The two men didn't bother pretending they didn't know each other although they also didn't allude to their past connection and instead, shook hands with a nod like grown men. Aiden didn't have a problem with Todd, but he couldn't be sure what his girlfriend's ex-husband must think of him. Not that it mattered, not while he was there solely for Megan.

"Where's Peter?" Sam asked, looking around after a moment.

"Peter's here?" Lacey asked, curious. She had completely forgotten about him and didn't remember seeing the man her mother worked with anywhere though she couldn't be sure—once she had seen her grandmother, everything else just seemed to fade into the background.

"Who's Peter?" Todd asked. He'd heard Lacey mention the name before but couldn't quite place it. He liked to think that he was just too tired to remember rather than he was getting old and forgetful. Then again, was he that out of touch with his ex-wife's life? Sure it hasn't been easy but since things between him and Kate wound down, he and Megan had been getting along better, especially with Lacey playing a good buffer.

"Megan's partner at work," Joan supplied.

"Oh," he said again for the second time that night. And then he started thinking.

Had he somehow turned into that kind of guy, the clueless ex-husband? He'd begun to think he and his ex were reaching some kind of point—a good one, but seeing how seemingly out of touch he was regarding her new life, well, that was a little disconcerting though he didn't know why he felt that way too. Why did he care?

Todd chalked it off to the night's events. It must have been bringing back old feelings, especially ones from Megan's car accident. They were divorced already but she was still the mother of his child. It was true then, but even more so now and with tragedy had striking again, he decided he was only reacting.

"He…went for some coffee," Kate said, finishing lamely and it showed she was clearly unsure despite her effort.

Surreptitiously, she and the detectives shared a look, conveying the words she didn't speak. True to form, they got the message with no need for a fanfare.

Sam stood up, "Would anyone else like some coffee? I think I'll go find Peter and get a cup too."

"I do but I'll go with you," Bud said, taking out his phone, "I'll need to check on Jeannie. Give her an update before she kills her sister."

Nobody took the offer and politely declined so the detectives headed off, taking the pathway leading into the rest of hall that led further into the hospital. Kate looked at Megan's family and Aiden then at Lacey who had a curious expression on her face.

She smiled a little and explained, "Detective Morris' wife Jeannie is pregnant—she's also a friend of your mom's."

"The one having the baby shower tonight," Lacey guessed. "Mom mentioned she was going to one when I helped pick out the gift."

Kate nodded, "Jeannie was around when we heard about…" she paused, "She's very worried about your mom but with the baby, she can't afford to be too stressed."

Lacey nodded, understanding, "I hope she's okay."

The blonde smiled, seeing the girl was being sincere, "Me too."

"Family of Megan Hunt?"

They all looked up, for a moment collectively startled, and saw a man dressed in light green scrubs entering the waiting area they were occupying. They stood at the same time, but somehow, Lacey had beaten them all to it and she stood, shoulder squared and her face calm though she kept her hand in her grandmother's. She swallowed, but she kept her chin high, "Is my mom okay?"

Her grandmother and father stood behind her as the doctor took stock for a moment, his eye drifting from the two then to Aiden and Kate who simply nodded at the girl's direction so he returned his attention to the Lacey.

Though none of them knew it, they all held their breaths at the same time.

-o0o-

"Ethan? Hey, Ethan!"

Curtis Brumfield caught sight of the mass of black hair floating along the windows of the Autopsy Suite, speaking with the CSU tech who was gathering evidence. Upon hearing his name, the younger man's head shot up, "Watch your step! There're evidence markers there!"

"I saw them, doofus," Curtis snapped, "Get outta there and let the woman do her job. Come on! I got orders from Kate telling you to cool your heels."

Ethan gave him a look, "I'm helping."

"No, ya ain't," Curtis answered, "Come on, this is their turf, not ours—not while it's a crime scene. Bud and Sam just went to the hospital where, by the way, ya'll should be. There's nothing for you to do here."

"I'm supposed to be here," Ethan said, "Dr. Hunt doesn't need me there."

"Ethan! Get your ass out here!"

Hearing the 'despot voice', Ethan straightened up, thanking the CSU tech who had allowed him to shadow her. She hadn't seemed to mind the company, especially when he pointed out he worked there and worked analysis, but with Curtis barking like a mad dog, there really weren't many options then.

"What?" that didn't stop Ethan from being upset though.

"What do you mean what?" Curtis raised an eyebrow, seeing the anger flash across his face, "What's wrong with you, boy? When we heard 'bout what happened, you got a light under yo' ass, couldn't wait to get to the hospital, now you look like you doing everything you can to stay away. What's your problem?

"Nothing," Ethan moved past him, taking heed of the evidence markers on the ground where there was still a trail of blood along the way. He had spotted a partial footprint there earlier and didn't dare look again. Instead, he moved quickly down the hall and away from Curtis.

He followed along though, as expected, "Ethan!"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Ethan, come on! Hold up!"

"Get off my back, Curtis!"

"Hey!" Ethan felt a grab along his arm and found himself being shoved into the break room. It had been cleared already by the CSU so it was safe for them to occupy.

He whirled around, facing his boss with a glare and he let go of him, "What the hell, Curtis?"

"Something is going on with you and you're telling me now instead of making me pull teeth like some damned dentist," Curtis said fiercely, unfazed. "So, talk."

"It's nothing," Ethan insisted, "I'll be more useful here."

"Doin' what? Starin' at the techs doin' their jobs? Uh-uh," he shook his head, "I smell bull. We're not working this case—there ain't no body so we get no say in this. We're not even s'pose to be here, technically. Try again."

Ethan stared at him, his face drawn and for a moment, none of them talked until he drew a deep breath, "I just…I can't be there."

"Can't be where? At the hospital?"

Ethan nodded, "Yeah. I know, I know…Dr. Hunt got hurt, but…I just can't be there."

"Why the hell not?"

"Because…" Ethan stopped then looked at Curtis, "Because I'm not sure I can handle it."

"What?" Curtis asked, confused.

"Dr. Hunt…Megan. I can't see her that way…like Dani."

Curtis stopped, realizing what Ethan was finding so hard to say. It wasn't too long ago their team processed Dani Alvarez after she succumbed to the same disease that almost took Kate Murphy too. He knew Dani's death affected Ethan in a lot more ways than anyone knew, knowing how much the boy cared for her.

"That's different," Curtis shook his head, "Dani got sick, Ethan. Dr. Hunt—"

"Faced a serial killer," Ethan pointed out, "Now, that may not be some hybrid disease, but it sure as hell is scarier. Polley was a cold heartless vicious man, Curtis, and we don't even know if-if she made it or how badly she was hurt or what he did to her—"

"That's why we wait at the hospital, to find out—"

"And I'm saying I can't, alright?" Ethan said, raising his voice slightly, "I mean…Megan is such a force of nature, Curtis…she's tough, she-she's smart and she's just…a hell of a person. And thinking about Polley? Seeing the things he did to those women? To those _girls_?" He stopped, "If she's gone, then I don't want to see her that way…I want to remember her the way she was."

"She's not dead, Ethan."

"But is she alive?"

"We don't know, but she's a friend of yours, right? Right?"

"Yes, she is," Ethan nodded, "My friend."

"Alright, so you know friends should be there for each other," Curtis said, "Even when you're too scared. It's what you do." He stopped, "Look, I just gave the same speech I gave to Peter, alright? Don't make me do it again. I'm saying, suck it up 'cause you're no damn fool, alright? You ain't hiding out here because right now, Megan's going to need people and you gon' be one of them."

"Curtis—"

"And you _know_ she's gonna be a pain in the ass about it," Curtis scoffed, "She's gonna kick, bite, scream and god knows what else 'cause she thinks she don't need nobody. Well, this time she's gonna but she won't make it easy on anyone. We're all gonna have to chip in somehow, especially you. Know why?"

Ethan paused before replying carefully, "Because I'm her bitch?"

Curtis smirked, "That and you _are_ her friend, you dummy."

"But—"

"No buts, ya hear me?" Curtis waved his hand in the younger man's face, "You kidding me, right? Hiding around like a scared mouse…now, come on. We gotta make sure things stay in tight here. Detective Reyes is here and so's a buncha other cops. Gotta make sure the other active cases around here are being kept or we'll have a heck of a mess in our hands."

He looked around and puffed up his chest, "Uh-uh. Not on my watch."

Ethan watched the man move, feeling lighter now that he'd been forced to talk. He had balked when they got to the hospital, and hearing the things Peter was saying, seeing how absolutely drained he was—it had scared Ethan. Like somehow, it was only then when the reality of it all hit him.

He cared deeply for Megan Hunt and admired her greatly. She was strong, fearless and capable—everything he didn't believe himself to be and yet, being in the lab with her, working and learning from her, it showed another side of her. It was the side of her that was similar to Ethan—the nerd, the geek. She was like the amalgamation of the cool kid and the nerd, able to be both while at the same time keep Ethan at ease.

Whenever she let him help her out and when she listened to him, she made him feel good, like somehow, even the way he was, he was enough, that he measured up. And to her, he did. She trusted him with work, trusted he wasn't going to screw everything up and that helped a lot with his self-esteem because while she wasn't a high powered neurosurgeon anymore, she was still brilliant and at the top of her field. Working for her, being her intern was like being a sidekick to a superhero—and that was a great feeling.

Ethan wasn't just learning to be a better scientist through her, he was also learning how to be stronger, learning to grow up and _be_ someone.

Losing her or even seeing her knocked down was a blow to Ethan. It didn't mean it lessened his view of her, no, but it was enough to scare him. If the world could take down someone incredible like Megan Hunt, then what chance did a guy like Ethan Gross have?

And thinking about losing her was not something Ethan wanted to face. He cared for her, liked her a lot even though some people found her unlikeable. She was a good person and a lot of fun to be around and somehow, she liked him too. She didn't treat him like he was a nuisance she couldn't get rid of, didn't make him feel like he was in the way or was some unwanted factor in her life. She treated him like a person who mattered, like someone who was actually worth her time.

Losing her was to lose an admirable human being and a great friend who meant a lot to him.

"Ethan."

He looked up, jarred from his thoughts once more by Curtis. He expected to be glared at, to see the man's very face chastise him as it so often did, but he was wrong.

Curtis stood there by the doors leading out of the break room, looking a lot more somber than he'd ever seen him. It was an odd look on the tough deputy chief.

"We're all scared, Ethan," he began, "But everything's gon' be fine, alright? You just gotta hang on."

And with that, Curtis walked out, barking at someone somewhere loudly, leaving Ethan there in the silence of the break room. He watched the spot the man vacated for a moment and decided he wasn't the only one outside the family of Megan Hunt feeling what he felt. Curtis felt it to, but like a true despot, he just knew how to hide it well.

He cared and that made a world of difference to Ethan Gross.

Because to him, it was always nice to know you aren't alone.

-o0o-

Lacey Fleming was twelve and a half years old.

And as far as she knows, she's practically a teenager, which meant she was a big girl already, on her way to becoming an adult. She was mature too, more so than some in her age group and she liked that. She didn't do stupid things some of her classmates were dabbling at or were actually doing already—drinking, underage partying and smoking whatever they can get their hands on and she liked to think that made her a cut above the rest. Sure, it made being one of the cool kids harder, but she was also starting to realize that maybe being a cool kid isn't all that it's cracked up to be.

But her opinion on that particular matter changes from time to time, of course.

Still though, she wasn't a little girl anymore so when the doctor who had news about her mother cautioned her, she told him she could take it. He had news about her mom and the sooner they got an update, the sooner she could see her mom. She just wanted to know she was okay.

Because grown up as she was, Lacey was terrified at the thought of her mother being in the hands of that bad man. And while she knew if Megan ever found out, she'd be in big trouble, but she had let her curiosity get the better of her and looked things up in the internet. She couldn't help it, finding out just who her mother was trying to keep her safe from the night before. She could not help but wonder just who could scare her mother like that when she was one of the bravest people Lacey had ever known.

It didn't take much and with a few clicks, Lacey knew his name, his face and what he had done.

He looked different than what she imagined because he looked like a normal guy you'd pass on the street. She'd cast him as a monster in her head and had ended up thinking him as one. So when Wilson Polley's face appeared on her screen, she barely flinched.

The rest of his story made her shut her laptop off though.

And tonight, this was her mother and that man had hurt her. Lacey didn't dare say his name, didn't dare tell her father what she knew because he would worry. No, Lacey kept that to herself. She was afraid of him the night before and now she was downright terrified because he hurt her mom. But it was also that same fact though, that her mom had gotten hurt, that made Lacey feel braver than she should—her mother needed her to be so she would be.

She was going to listen to what the doctor had to say.

But she held on to her grandmother's hand though and hoped her dad won't move his arm from around her shoulders. To make sure he knew she grabbed a small handful of the bottom of his shirt, her fingers closing around the fabric.

"We're moving Dr. Hunt to a room upstairs but right now, I'm pleased to let you know," the doctor looked at Lacey, "With time and a good amount of rest, Dr. Hunt will be fine."

Breaths that had been held in by all was released and Lacey felt her father squeeze her shoulder while her grandmother whispered, "Oh, thank god." Beside them, she saw Kate smile and look heavenward and let out a breath.

She also didn't miss Aiden placing his hands over his mouth too, relief clear on his face even as he closed his eyes. Lacey smiled brightly, squeezing her grandmother's hand and laying her head on her father's shoulder while he hugged her. After giving them a moment, the doctor continued.

"Dr. Hunt was x-rayed, examined and we've patched her up," the doctor went on, "She suffered some injuries—a few of them minor, a few will take a lot more time than others to heal completely." He paused, looking at Lacey again, "I'm going to explain her injuries now—are you sure you would like to listen? I would advise against it for someone so young."

"I'm seeing my mom very soon," she said, "I'd rather know now than find questions I might not be able to stop myself from asking later. I don't want to ask my mom…she's been through enough, hasn't she?"

The doctor paused and for a moment just looked at her before nodding slowly, "Good point. You're a very smart girl, Miss Fleming. Your parents must be very proud."

"We are," Todd said, squeezing her shoulder again and her grandmother kissed the top of her head.

Lacey caught Kate's eye who gave her an encouraging look. They had tried to talk her out of it, but at least even if she insisted, she was still getting the support she was going to need.

"Okay," he nodded, "Dr. Megan Hunt was brought in earlier and medics on site reported she was not breathing when they got to the scene but managed to resuscitate her on the way. We checked her respiration and she responded to treatment so we were able to get her breathing on her own without assistance shortly after bringing her in.

"She suffered some facial injuries and there's a lot of bruising with the most severe being around her left eye, extending to her cheek which led us to discovering the hairline fracture along the bone. We're giving it three to four weeks to heal." He stopped, "There's also some bruising around her neck, jaw, shoulders, arms. One on her left wrist. Like the hairline fracture, it will heal and fade."

He checked his chart, "She also suffered a couple of broken ribs, some severe bruising in others and we will be giving something for the pain for that. She also has a wound above her ankle, a few inches but it didn't need stitching so scarring shouldn't be a problem. Now, I understand Dr. Hunt is a…Medical Examiner?"

"Yes," Kate answered, "With the Philadelphia MEO."

A flicker of recognition came in the doctor's eyes, "Ah, Dr. Murphy? Of course," he nodded, "I'm sorry—I couldn't place you but I was sure I'd seen you somewhere before."

He cleared his throat lightly, "I'm sorry—again—but you will be down one ME for a while. We removed a few pieces of glass from Dr. Hunt's hands but some were imbedded so deep we had to have a specialist take a look. No severe damage so we're not expecting any lasting effects, but she will be out of commission for a period of time. There was some glass in her feet as well and we've taken care of those too. Cleaned and bandaged."

"No nerve damage? Or anything of the sort to worry about?" Kate asked, crossing her arms over her chest, coming to full doctor mode. Megan already had the parasthesia to contend with, Kate hoped the doctor wasn't wrong in saying about there being no lasting effects. She would hate to have Megan face another hurdle like that.

"We don't believe so, but we will see in time," he answered, "With the fractured ribs, that's the most of it. She also has bruising along her back and shoulders and there was a small cut on her neck, near the jugular made by a very sharp tool, it seems, but the damage was minimal—a shallow cut."

Kate nodded, "Anything else?"

The doctor shook his head, "Just more bruising. Dr. Hunt was lucky to avoid any lasting damages but I will have to warn you—it looks worse than it is. The bruises on her face, especially the ones around her left eye and neck will look alarming at first so be ready for that."

Lacey knew that was mostly directed at her when the doctor looked at her again and stayed on her. She didn't look away though but she did see he was being compassionate so she didn't react negatively. The doctor was trying to be kind.

But she had seen her mother after her car accident and it had scared her to tears back then. It would be similar, she thought and that scared her too so she steeled herself the best she could. She just needed to remind herself—her mom was going to be okay. That was more than a good reason to get through the process.

"Right now, the main concern is the bump along the back of her head," he touched the area of his own head to show them, "We ran her through the MRI and didn't see any indication of severe trauma _but_ I will insist that she stay the night and maybe tomorrow. We'd like to keep her under observation, just to make sure there isn't anything else going on."

"Of course," Kate nodded. "She will stay as long as necessary, doctor."

"Good," he smiled, "We're getting her settled in and you will be allowed to see her soon although I'm going to have to insist on not getting her too excited? She's on some pain meds right now and everyone reacts differently to that so I can't promise if she will be awake or alert. I'm allowing a short visit but Dr. Hunt needs to start recuperating immediately."

Everyone nodded and they all thanked him. After a few more reminders, he excused himself, bidding them all a good night and headed off, assuring them he would be around if he was needed.

Lacey felt her grandmother pull her into a hug, "Your mom's going to be okay, Lace, she's going to be just fine."

She nodded, holding on tight though she couldn't find herself ready to speak.

There was a lump in her throat and somehow, it felt hard to breathe. She was happy her mother was okay, but why did she feel like crying? She was so beyond relief, so beyond amazed, but there it was—that heavy feeling like she could cry so much her throat hurt.

"Lace?" she heard her dad call, "You okay, baby?"

She turned to her father and, unable to help herself, threw herself into his arms and cried.

Almost thirteen years old, crying like a baby and unable to hold herself up, Lacey Fleming let it all out. She felt like crying so she did because she could not hold it in anymore. She listened bravely, listened to what had been done to her mother even if with each word, with each injury mentioned left her petrified, she did it. It wasn't about being a grown up or being a baby. It had to be done.

Even though it hurt and it was scary, she was glad she did it. It made her feel like she had conquered something and maybe she had. But that wasn't important. Her mom was going to be okay and Lacey might as well have been given the world.

And in a way, knowing she wasn't losing her mom tonight, she might as well have.

-o0o-

"Where the hell is he?"

Bud and Sam stopped, a few halls over from where they came in. They'd been searching for Peter Dunlop, wondering just where the man could be while his partner's family awaited news. It was odd he wasn't there with them, odd that he would even leave because they knew Peter wasn't where he should be—it was out of character to have him behave in such a cavalier manner, considering his partner was in the hospital.

"I don't know but he better show his face," Bud muttered, "I wanna get some news on Megan before I call Jeannie. God knows what could be going through her head by now."

"Did you tell her sister to keep her away from the TV?" Sam asked, knowing just how capable the media was when it came to delivering the wrong news. Jeannie did not need the added stress of false information.

"I did but a lot of good that'll do," her partner shook his head.

"Yeah," Sam nodded then looked behind them, sighing loudly. "There he is."

Both of them turned and caught the familiar profile of Peter Dunlop passing them, heading _back_ to the direction that had led them there. They took off in a light jog, careful that they didn't bump on anyone but keeping pace to make sure they didn't miss him.

"Hey, Peter!" Sam called when they were close enough.

"Bud? Sam?" he turned around, facing both with a confused expression on his face, "What are you two doing here?"

"Looking for you!" Bud answered, "Where have you been? Megan's family is there and Kate told us you were out looking for _coffee_?"

Sam spotted the teddy bear in his hand, "I think he found the gift shop instead."

Bud looked as well, "Oh, wow. Okay, Peter, come on…time to get back. The gift shop, really?"

"It-it was for a kid who was there," the medical investigator answered, "Really."

"Right," Sam smirked, "We _have_ been looking for you all over. Captain's got the case on Reyes and Krakowski so we're off it for now. Went her to check on the doc but there's nothin' yet."

"And when Kate said you went for coffee, well," Bud shrugged, "You see how weird that sounded to us. I mean, she's your partner and you're…not there. Weird."

"I just…needed to take a walk," Peter finished lamely and looked away when the larger man's face contorted into a more serious look.

"Your partner just almost had a hook jammed up her brain, Peter," Bud pointed out, not missing the flinch on the man's face, "And you went for a walk?"

"I needed to clear my head."

"Couldn't clear it in the waiting room?" Bud asked, "Come on, man."

"Look, I really don't see how this is any of your business—"

"It's my business when one of my friends almost gets killed by a serial killer!" Bud growled, barely managing to keep his voice level in the hospital hallway. "And as it was your partner, I'm sorry but I imagined you'd be there right now, trying to knock doors down for answers."

"I waited, there wasn't any yet and I just—" Peter stopped, taking deep breaths as he glared up at the man and faced him toe to toe, "I needed to breathe, _alright?_"

"No," Bud spat, "Not alright. You know as well as I do if it was the other way around, that stubborn pain in the ass woman would be skinning each nurse she came across until she got answers!"

"Well, I'm sorry but pissing people off like that isn't my specialty."

"Yeah, I noticed," Bud scoffed, "Look, I don't know what's going on with you, alright, Peter? But get it together. Your partner almost died. She has a daughter and a mother who are holding on for answers. The least you can do is sit your ass down there and do the same."

"Bud—"

"I mean, after all," the detective went on, "She's just the woman you work side by side with every day, right?"

"That's enough!" Peter snapped, "I get it, but I didn't leave just because, alright? I couldn't stand being there…I couldn't," he stopped, shaking his head as he reached up to rub the back of his neck, "I left her behind…I left Megan behind and Polley got to her. I feel like shit enough without you piling on. I'm sorry if sitting around there and trying not to remember how I _couldn't _even get her to start breathing again made me want to get out. I'm sorry I'm _not_ wired for that."

Bud stared at the other man, his eye wide though the fierce look on his face stayed.

"What? Peter, look—" Sam stepped in front of Bud, motioning him to stand down, "It's not your fault, alright? We didn't know he was coming. Hell, we didn't even know he was in the country. It was nobody's fault except Polley's. Shit happens and when it does, we deal with it, alright? And that's what we're going to do tonight. We'll deal with it but right now, running off and avoiding her and the situation is _not_ the solution. Do you hear me, Peter?"

"You don't get it," he insisted, shaking his head, "I was supposed to stay tonight. We were supposed to go to the shower together. That was the plan, but…we had a fight and I was mad so I left with Kate. Then Polley came. She was alone and he had her right where he needed her to—"

"_What?"_

All three of them turned to find Aiden Wells standing a few feet away. Obviously he'd been close enough to hear the whole thing and neither of them noticed his presence.

Bud glanced at Peter then at the man who was so clearly floored by what he heard, "Aiden—"

"There's been some news on Megan," he offered, motioning with his hand absently towards the direction he'd just come from, "She's alright and we'll be allowed to see her soon. After she gets settled in her room."

"Oh, good," Sam said, "Come on, Pe—"

"You're Peter, right? Peter Dunlop?" Aiden said suddenly, his eyes moving towards him, cutting Sam off and stopping her in her tracks.

Peter stared at him for a moment but then looked away, "Yeah, I am. Listen, Aiden, I—"

"You know, Megan told me about you," Aiden cut him off, walking towards the group, "And I know all about her job…and the things she does she's not supposed to. Chasing witnesses, looking for suspects, following evidence—things you'd expect a cop to do, but since she's Megan, well, try telling her she's not allowed to do something, right?"

Sam glanced at Bud, wondering where this was leading too though both of them felt that somehow, something wasn't right again. One glance at Peter told them his thoughts were probably running along the same wavelength.

"I worry," Aiden confessed, "I worry like you won't believe. I mean, I'm just a landscape guy. I put things in people's yards, I put bushes and flowers here and there…while my girl is out there facing the worst scum this city has to offer. You can imagine how that might twist a guy about.

"Believe me, I've tried to tell her to take it easy, to let the cops do their work, but she, of course, wouldn't listen," he shrugged, "She'd tell me it was fine. She's a big girl, she can take care of herself…but what can a woman do against a 200 pound killer or whatever you lot might see in your work? So I worry more and she notices…and you know what she tells me? She's got a great partner, a real good guy. She lucked out because the bonus is he used to be a cop, but he's working for her now so she's protected."

Peter's hand curled tighter around the teddy bear he'd forgotten he was even holding. He didn't know Aiden Wells, but somehow, he was listening to him talk. The man obviously had something to say and Peter somehow could not find himself _not_ to listen. It seemed Bud and Sam were as well, considering they were paying as much attention to the man as he was.

"The things she said about you…made me feel a little better, not by much, but better at least," he grinned, "It brought some measure of comfort to know she had someone watching over her, someone she trusted. A friend who—from how she described him—cared for her.

"And then I walk in on this," Aiden opened his arms to the three of them, "I came here looking for you…we've seen each other around Megan even if she hadn't introduced us yet. And I also know Megan cares a lot about you so, I thought, why not? I was sure you'd want to know how she was…might as well do it myself. After all, you're the guy who's been looking out for the woman I've grown to care very, very deeply for. It was the least I could do."

"Aiden—"

He moved faster than the three of them anticipated and with a vicious shove, Aiden had Peter against the wall, both hands grabbing on to a fistful of his shirt. The other man didn't make a move to push him off and simply held his wrists in place.

But Bud and Sam were on him in an instant though, "Hey!"

"Get off him, Mr. Wells!" Sam commanded as she and Bud tried to pull off the man from Peter. "Let him go! Now!"

"I just listened to a doctor give the rundown of what happened to Megan," Aiden snarled, "Believe me…_this_ is a hell of a lot less than what hell she went through tonight."

"Aiden! Mr. Wells, let go of him now!"

"_You left her behind for that bastard to find!_" Aiden hissed, his face so full of anger and completely ignoring the detectives trying to dislodge him. He held on to Peter though, tightening his grip and it was only the man's hold on his wrists that stopped him from slamming him against the wall again, "She trusted you and you _left her_! You're supposed to be her friend! Where the _hell_ were you?"

"Aiden!" Bud yelled, finally muscling the man off and pushing him away with a hard shove that made him let go of Peter. "Step back, Mr. Wells, or we _will_ arrest you for assault."

Sam stayed with Peter, pulling him off the wall and moved him farther away from Aiden, standing in front of him with a fierce look on her face while he rubbed his neck, breathing heavily. Bud stood in the space between, both arms in spread on both sides to make sure he stayed as a form of barrier between the two.

Peter held his hands up in front of him, "I didn't do it on purpose, Aiden. Believe me, if I knew Polley was planning to—"

"I don't care and I don't give a damn what happened between you two, but you just try and tell yourself it wasn't your fault," Aiden ground out, making no attempt to go after Peter again as he breathed heavily.

He was angry and hearing the man's account of his failure set Aiden off in ways that made it impossible to ignore. "You _knew _that madman was out there, you _knew_ he could go after her and hurt her but you left her anyway. I'm not sure if that makes you stupid or just one hell of a shitty friend—I don't care. But this one's on you."

"Mr. Wells—"

"And I'm sorry but I'm mad as hell because the woman I lo—" Aiden stopped, staring at Peter for a moment before looking away and shaking his head, "Megan is in there…she's hurt and god only knows what she's feeling right now. You're no fortune teller, but you should have known better—"

"Aiden, I—"

"No," his accent was heavy, his voice thick and when he looked at Peter, there was more sadness there than anger on his face, "You should have looked after her better…you were _supposed_ to look after her. It may not be in the job description, but if you cared enough…"

He looked at Bud and Sam then returned his gaze to Peter, "I won't assume to have any rights on the matter of who will be allowed to see her but…understand if I'm less cordial than Megan would expect me to be around you in the future. It's…I don't know. I can't help but think maybe it would have been different if she hadn't been alone…maybe _this_ could have been avoided or who knows?

"But if you cared about her as much as I thought you did, you would have stayed with her to make sure she was safe with that-that..._bastard_ on the loose," Aiden said, his fists clenched at his sides, "I'm sorry I was wrong about you."

With that, he walked away and left them standing there. Bud turned to Peter, the anger he directed at the man earlier, gone and replaced with a look that of compassion. Sam stood to the side, hands on her hips and kicked a foot in front of her, breathing deeply in and out before returning her gaze on the medical investigator.

"You okay?" she asked after a beat.

"No," the man answered honestly, adjusting the collar of his shirt. He was pale, close to being sick and there was an almost haunted look about him, "I don't think so. No."

"He's just angry, Peter," she explained, "He doesn't know the whole story—"

Peter shook his head, "He doesn't have to, Sam. He's got the facts right. This one's on me."

"It's on _all_ of us," Bud interjected, gently. "We all should have been looking out for each other. We just…we took our eye off the ball."

"There's nothing you can say that'll make what Aiden said any less true, Bud," the other man said, shaking his head before roughly rubbing his face. "I should have been there."

Sam looked at Bud and shook her head, taking hold of the other man's arm and pulled to straighten up, "I've heard enough of this, alright? You're being an idiot and there's news about Megan. Personally, I wanna know how she's doing. And you _are _her partner so you're goin' too. And you know what? I'll leave straightening out that head of yours to her 'cause god knows you won't listen to us. Now, walk."

He didn't even seem bothered by the hard shove the female detective gave him, "Sam…"

"I said walk, Peter."

Bud nodded, "Better listen, man. Best not to fight it."

Peter did just that but even then, with the two detectives accompanying him, it did little to quiet Aiden Wells' voice from within his mind. They were in there now, all the words the other man had spoken. Those words were the same ones Peter himself had been thinking already and hearing it from someone who didn't belong in their group and had a different point of view, it helped cement things that were already in his mind.

This night could have been different, so much so, had he had stayed with his partner.

And though he knew his friends would tell him otherwise, he _had_ failed. No matter what anyone said, it was an inescapable truth that he _had _left Megan alone. Things could have gone differently that night and Peter had no one but himself to blame.

Because job description or not, Megan was his friend and it should have been instinct to stick close by, to make sure that the danger was really gone.

Now that they were at this point, he could see Polley had been far too interested in her to just walk away, especially considering everything Megan had cost him—his life, his daughter, his freedom. Peter couldn't read minds, but he knew they'd all made a big mistake thinking it all over too quickly. Had they even considered Polley would be somewhere else other than Canada?

They'd been on the job too long to accept things at face value so fast—especially when they were dealing with a serial killer who had managed to commit nearly the perfect murder. So why had they? Saner men had pulled crazier stunts and with Polley, it had been a mind game that he enjoyed far too much. He had baited Megan, it was so clear, and it had been a mistake to think he would just drop off the grid like that.

Peter followed Bud and Sam, all of them silent and not daring to discuss further the encounter with Aiden Wells. Each had their own minds to sort out and given the lateness of the hour and finally knowing Megan was okay, their energies were slowly becoming depleted. It had been a long night.

And though Peter didn't know it, both detectives were thinking the same thoughts. Aiden's words hadn't been directed at them, but they too were harboring the same guilt. After all, weren't they the team Kate had pooled with their Lieutenant during that collaboration all those months ago? And hadn't they dealt with whackos not unlike Polley in the past?

These thoughts were heavy in their minds as they walked away, so heavy that not one of them noticed the teddy bear dressed in a doctor's coat lying on its side, forgotten.

It was a long night and for the three companions, it was far from over.

* * *

_I know it's been slow but next chapter, the story will move on to Megan.  
As always, feedback—more than welcome.  
_


	4. Chapter 4

**_Note: _**_Thank you so much for the reviews! I love getting them, I won't lie. I love interacting with readers! Sorry for the delay-I blame getting sick, twitter, a wedding, a guy and the suddenly MIA Dana Delany. And yes, spot the familiar last names if you can. I like doing that sometimes, borrowing and such for kicks._**  
**

_**Note 2: My GOD the amount of typos in this chapter was shameful! Tried to edit it as much as possible though I'm sure I missed a few more. I might just consider testing out betas...this was pathetic.**  
_

_**Also, while nothing earth-shattering, some paragraphs were edited and some were added and removed. I was in a rewrite kinda mood.  
**_

* * *

**CHAPTER FOUR  
**

They're shown to a private waiting area and it's too cheerful in there.

At least, in terms of décor, the colors are cheerful and with the yellow tinge to the walls. It was a contrast to the almost solemn air the group carried with them when they were led there by another nurse, a young one this time, most likely new or at least just a few years on the job.

She left them with a polite smile, advising them to wait and informed them someone will come in shortly. They're waiting _again_ to see Megan only this time, it's on another floor. They needed to settle her in her room, a private one in another wing of the hospital.

Todd led both Joan and Lacey to the sofa and the latter immediately curled herself against her grandmother's side, laying her head on her lap and kept silent. Kate took the seat across the coffee table while Todd leaned back against the wall, watching his daughter with a face full of concern and the hints of anxiety he was trying hard to hide.

Aiden arrived and forewent the pleasantries then as he asked straightway, "Anything new?"

"Not yet," Kate shook her head, motioning for the empty seat next to her. "Soon."

"Alright," he nodded though he didn't take the seat and instead, leaned against the wall and let his eyes roll upwards to the ceiling. He missed Todd's eyes following his every move until he settled.

"Did you find Peter and Detectives Baker and Morris?" Kate asked.

The landscape architect looked at her, "Yes…I informed them of the news."

She opened her mouth to inquire further, only to stop when she spotted a presence in the corner of her eyes. She turned, catching sight of a dark haired woman looking at her. Recognition didn't take long and Kate stood, excusing herself and this time, Todd's eyes were on her and she didn't miss it.

Kate quietly though swiftly stepped out, sparing a brief glance at her ex-boyfriend though she didn't give him any answers and instead turned away and stepped out of the waiting area, meeting the woman in a quick but meaningful hug.

The Dean of Medicine and Hospital Administrator of Franklin Memorial Hospital, Dr. Melissa Corwin, was dressed in a camel toned pea coat and black pants tucked into her boots. Her thick dark hair was pulled back in an elegant twist on her head, allowing full view of her face, her striking appearance enhanced quite beautifully by her Grecian heritage.

She and Kate met during the latter's first year in Medical School and formed bond easily under the same sorority. The then Melissa Kokoris was prepping for her internship at the Mayo Clinic, but even then she managed to make time for the younger woman. They'd kept in touch over the years, never missing such milestones as Kate's graduation, Melissa's wedding and each others promotions to their current prestigious positions.

"Liss," Kate smiled, albeit tiredly. "I didn't know you'd still be here."

"No rest for the wicked, from what I've been so gaily told by some," came the dry response, "I was heading out when I was informed we had an incoming from the Philly MEO. You should have called me. I could have met you at the gate with my team."

"I would have but I didn't arrive with the ambulance," the blonde explained, "But your staff has been great so far, I saw no reason to pull you in so late."

"You know I'd welcome you any time," Melissa smiled, "Lucky I was just getting out as of a late meeting when I was informed you were here. One of your employees?"

Kate glanced inside the room, moving them both a little farther away from the door, "Yes, uh, one of my ME's was…attacked by a convict."

Melissa nodded, "Yes, I got the particulars of the case. Dr. Megan Hunt?"

Kate tilted her head to the side, "You know each other?"

"We met once or twice," the slightly older woman smiled, blue-gray eyes almost dancing, "I tried to poach her…what, eight or seven years ago? First year on the job and I was forming a surgical team, a new one. She was at the top of my list."

"What happened?"

The pretty Dean gave an eye roll, "Slingerland got to her, I think. I made him pay for that though—you know Dr. Howland? She's my Chief Surgeon."

Kate smiled and nodded, "Your competition with Matthew is quite legendary."

"And wait 'til I tell him about my plans for the expansion this year," she smirked, "I've got a Japanese benefactor who has proven to be quite generous."

Kate nodded then looked at her friend, "What's going on, Liss? I'm not entirely against the idea of catching up, but…you're stalling."

Melissa stopped, shaking her head slightly before giving her a somewhat sheepish smile, "I forget how well you know me, Kate." She glanced at her phone before speaking, "I was also informed of another incoming from your location. The man who attacked Dr. Hunt? He's in the building, just thought I should tell you."

"What?"

"He was brought in," the doctor answered, "I've got him in the ER, they're patching him up but with that gunshot wound, it's going to take a while. He lost a lot of blood. Police are on standby and we have a good security in place right here, but I thought you should know."

Kate stared at her for a moment before nodding slowly, "Okay, that's…thank you for telling me. I'm…I'm going to have to inform Megan's family. I don't want them to be blindsided."

Melissa nodded, "Assure them that we've got him chained to the bed so he's not going anywhere, even if he had the strength to do so. I insisted on it but it's protocol already. They will have him out by the morning, providing nothing goes wrong."

"Thank you," Kate smiled, weakly. "You didn't have to come all this way—"

"What are sisters for?" the raven haired beauty replied, "And while I'm here, I should let you know we have Megan on a good floor. It's quieter than the others and it's new. There's already a bench in there, kind of soft and people seem to not mind sleeping on it, but I had a recliner brought in as well, just in case someone wants to spend the night."

"You're going through so much trouble, I—"

Melissa chuckled, "Oh, believe me, this is nothing. My acquaintance with Dr. Hunt was very brief, but…I liked her. We're not much different so it wasn't hard to see through the persona."

Kate smirked, "Yes, well, I suppose this is one upside to you not poaching her successfully. Megan's a little different as an employee…or so I would imagine."

Her friend chuckled, "Oh, please, you don't think I don't know pain in the ass employees? I have Howland, Jordan and Keating on staff and those three are enough to make me rip my hair out. But they are the best so it's worth the occasional bloodbath—well, at least the ones _outside_ my ORs."

"That sounds like Megan," Kate chuckle, reaching out to touch her friend's arm, "But really, Liss, thank you."

"You just call, alright?"

"Excuse me?"

Both women looked up to see Joan Hunt standing by the door, an anxious expression on her face.

"Mrs. Hunt," Kate straightened up, glancing at Melissa, "Uh, this is Dr. Melissa Corwin. She's the Dean of Medicine and Hospital Administrator. Liss, this is Mrs. Joan Hunt. Megan's mother."

"Of course," Melissa smiled, the same smile she used on donors who were thinking of donating to her hospital, but she soon after schooled her features to a more sympathetic one, "I'm sorry about what happened to Megan. Please know that Franklin Memorial is there for you and your family, for anything at all."

Joan managed a tight smile as they shook hands, "You know Megan."

"Briefly," Melissa smiled, "But I liked her very much. I was alarmed when I heard about tonight. Kate and I go way back and I had to see for myself."

Joan nodded, "I appreciate your concern…but I was just wondering about when we'll we be allowed to see my daughter?"

"We're almost done, Mrs. Hunt," Melissa smiled, "I'm sorry it's taking a while. I'm afraid I'm to blame, but I changed the designated room at the last minute…I thought you would all do better in this wing. It's quiet and the rooms are larger for family and visitors."

"That's very thoughtful of you," Joan smiled politely, "Thank you."

"It's nothing," Melissa smiled, "Although I must say that while I am a good friend of Dr. Murphy's, I hope Megan will remember this doesn't give her a free pass on being a pain in the ass."

Kate's eyebrows shot up at her friend's candor and looked to Megan's mom, only to catch her chuckling quietly. She caught Melissa's eye who only gave her a minute wink. This was the reason why she wasn't surprised Melissa got her job—she was good at reading people and easing them into situations. She was made for public relations and with a job running a hospital and keeping the doors open through donors and patrons, the just fit her to a T.

If anything, one of the main things they had in common was their capabilities in handling different kinds of politics. In a job like hers and Melissa's, it was an important requirement.

"Doctors make the worst patients, but even I heard about Megan during her recovery from her accident a few years back," Melissa grinned.

"Of course," Joan nodded, "She was…determined."

"She still is," Kate put in.

"That is one way to put it," Melissa's phone began to vibrate, "Speaking of…" she smiled at the two women, "Dr. Hunt is already set up in her room and she's ready."

Joan met Kate's eyes and they shared as the older woman made a move to return to the visitor's lounge, "I'll have to go get Lacey. She's been anxious."

"It was a pleasure, Mrs. Hunt," Melissa said after her, "You have a remarkable daughter."

The two watched the older woman leave and Kate turned to her friend, "Are you staying or is Kevin waiting up?"

"Oh, he's in Baltimore right now," she waved her hand absently, "I think I can stay a bit longer. I'm sure my staff will find me something last minute to deal with."

Kate smiled, "Good. Megan's family need to see her and I'm planning to stay a bit longer as well. I'd love the company."

Melissa smiled, placing her arm over the blonde's shoulders, "I'm all yours."

It didn't take long for Joan to emerge once more with Lacey, followed closely by Aiden and Todd. The girl could not be older than 12 with her soft features and gentle aura and Melissa was sure the emotional state she was most likely in only added more to the natural innocence of the girl. She felt her heart break a little trying to imagine just what she could be going through at the moment.

"This is Lacey," Joan introduced them, "Lacey, this is Dr. Corwin."

"Melissa," the dark haired woman replied, smiling at the girl, "Hello, Lacey."

"Hi," the girl replied. "Is…is my mom okay? Can I see her?"

Melissa nodded, "Yes, she is. She was very lucky and I've been told the ER doctor who treated her upon arrival already explained the extent of her injuries?"

Lacey nodded, "He did."

"Well, I won't waste time rehashing the whole thing then," she had been informed of how the girl seemed to take charge of the conversation, practicing an impressive amount of maturity and bravery that Dr. Thompson felt the need to note during his update on the patient. "She's been settled in her room, you'll be able to see her very soon."

"Is she...can I talk to her?"

Melissa smiled at the young girl, not at all doubting for one second she was Megan Hunt's daughter. She was soft, young and innocent, but there was steel underneath the youthfulness, "It would depend, but I was informed she was in and out…it's been a long night. She's probably tired and the pain meds only add to that."

Lacey nodded, "Okay."

"Although I should point out that further examination and corroboration from information on site," Melissa began, "Found that Dr. Hunt suffered severe strain in the neck area. Her vocal chords suffered a bit of swelling but we don't know for sure yet the extent of the damage as of yet. It's possible she won't be able to speak as much or she might feel some discomfort if she tries communicating verbally, so don't be alarmed. She just needs some rest and TLC before she gets back to normal.

"So with that, I'm allowing…" she stopped, looking at the group. She didn't miss the way the girl was hanging on to her grandmother's hand and the way her father stood next to her, "Three in first? That should work, yes? But not too long. I think we all are due for some rest and I imagine Dr. Hunt will be able to receive visitors better tomorrow once she's rested."

She smiled at Lacey again, patting her on the shoulder gently before motioning for them to follow her. The waiting area wasn't far from the room she had delegated for Megan and from the group that were waiting, she could see had made a good choice giving her one of the larger rooms. Melissa wasn't one to do favors, but she liked to provide comfort to families who come to her hospital to the best of her capabilities.

Reaching the room, she stopped, waiting until everyone was there before opening the door wordlessly and stepping aside to them into the hospital room.

"She's been through an ordeal," she said to Lacey gently, "And it will be scary at first, but she _is_ okay, Lacey so you don't have to be scared, okay?"

The girl looked at her for a moment before nodding, the corners of her lips curling upwards before looking hopefully into the room. Melissa gave her one last pat on the shoulder and let her pass.

Melissa's eyes met that of her friend's and returned the slight nod she received. She watched Lacey Fleming enter with her grandmother and her father following close behind before turning to Kate.

"I'd forgotten how good you are at that," the blonde said quietly, stepping in next to her after a quick glance at Aiden who stayed behind in the hallway. He'd been quiet but she noticed him hanging back and decided he needed peace. The man was deep in thought, that much she could tell so she decided small talk with his injured girlfriend's boss was the last thing he probably wanted.

"You're pretty good at this too," Melissa replied, "And I'm guessing this is small potatoes, compared to what you do in your work."

"We're all in the same boat," Kate answered with a slight shrug though there was something in her eyes that told her friend that maybe it was more than she could actually imagine. At least with Melissa's life in the hospital, she had brighter moments when lives were saved. Kate's, on the other hand, consisted of death and the aftermath.

Melissa Corwin could not imagine how the resilient blonde could stay in the profession for so long. She thought it might break her, dealing with so much death and sadness and devastation on a daily basis. This was one reason why she thrived in her current position. She missed the access to patient care and taking care of people, but she also didn't miss being the bearer of bad news.

Unsure of what else to say, the dark haired woman looked into the room once more, "Yes, I suppose we are."

Even though she knew they probably really weren't.

-o0o-

"Mom!"

Her voice had been barely above a whisper, but it was enough to tear through Joan as her granddaughter's hand slipped through her fingers when she rushed towards the bed. She almost stopped her, fear that the girl might be unable to control herself and forget her mother had been injured. Only she found that she didn't have to though when Lacey stopped dead in her tracks less than a foot from the bed and froze.

"Lace…" she began, only to stop once she had a glimpse of her daughter as well.

Megan's face, her beautiful daughter's face, was badly bruised on each side. Her hair had been pushed back behind her ears so they were afforded an unobstructed view. The dark purplish-blue that covered the skin under one eye down to her cheek made the older woman's stomach roll and she almost looked away as if she herself could feel the pain that must have come with a blow that came hard enough to leave that mark. She felt nauseated, seeing the damage inflicted on her daughter didn't end there.

There were a few marks along her jaw, visible on her lily white skin that Joan realized with horror looked like finger impressions—just trying to imagine how tightly that monster must have held on to Megan's face made Joan dizzy. The gown they had replaced her clothes with didn't do much to hide the bruises on her neck the doctors mentioned and seeing it in person, Joan realized that to have them be explained by a trained physician was completely nothing to actually seeing it all. There was no preparing herself for this. It wasn't possible.

And that had to only be the tip of the iceberg, Joan thought forlornly, standing behind her granddaughter, one hand holding on to the girl's shoulder while the other covered her mouth.

"God, Megan…" Todd said, unable to help himself once his eyes settled on his ex-wife.

"Mom," Lacey keened softly, coming towards the bed, "Mom…"

Joan rounded the bed, taking the other side opposite Lacey while Todd stood behind his daughter, slipping his arm across her chest from behind and whispered quietly into her hair that it was going to be okay. He looked away, unable to keep looking at Megan and concentrated instead on supporting their child.

"I…" Lacey reached towards her mother's hand, hesitating for a moment as her teeth sank onto her bottom lip, "Mom?"

"…Lace?" her voice was hoarse the way Lacey's voice had been the day after the last pep rally at her school when she had cheered so loud with her schoolmates, it took days until she sounded herself again. That voice didn't belong to her mother, she thought with the slightest alarm.

A gasp escaped the girl and she jumped slightly in her father's arms then slipped out of them easily as she sank onto the recliner next to the bed.

"Mom," she said softly and slowly bent her head down on the bed, facing her mother. The poor child looked exhausted and incredibly sad, sniffing with tears falling from her reddening eyes, "I'm here, I'm here…"

Megan's eyes opened, bleary and disoriented. She looked at her daughter, then at Todd who managed to give her a shaky smile before finding her mother. She looked almost confused as she croaked weakly, "Mom?"

"I'm here," Joan echoed her granddaughter's words, one hand over the other on her chest as if physically holding herself back from touching her. She was afraid she would only cause Megan more hurt if she dared touched her.

"Wh…what happened?"

Joan winced and suddenly, she could not help herself anymore, reaching forward and placed a gentle hand on her daughter's hair—the only place she felt confident enough to touch though even then her own fears let itself be known through her ever galloping heartbeat. She hesitated touching Megan for only the briefest moment, lingering just inches or so above her head before letting her hand settle. A shuddering sigh escaped her lips, her body nearly curled into itself when she finally was able to touch her daughter.

She could _feel _her daughter's warmth, she was _touching_ Megan—she was still there, _alive, _very much alive. _Thank you, God. Thank God. Thank God._

"The doctor said it might not be so easy to speak for a while," Joan said softly, making sure not to even come close to the IV stand and the things attached to the needle taped to the back of Megan's right hand. "Don't try to talk too much, okay? Not yet. You're here, baby, and you're going to be fine. You're going to be just fine."

Megan stared at her for a moment, not missing the tears in her mother's eyes and the sadness that showed even from underneath the smile she tried so hard to hold on to. Her eyes drifted back to her daughter and slowly, very slowly, her left hand reached out, curving over her daughter's cheek in the gentlest of touch.

Lacey's eyes drifted close, her hand covering her mother's as she sat up, holding on to the hand and smiled at her shakily.

"C'mere," Megan whispered, giving her daughter a small smile as she turned her hand from her daughter's face and grabbed onto the hand that had been on hers.

She tugged weakly and that was all the encouragement Lacey needed, moving on to the bed and sat down next to her mother and carefully, very, very carefully turned to lie next to her. She curled up her smaller body, laying her head under her mother's arm and allowed her to cradle her beside her. She was careful not to put her weight on her Megan, too scared to injure her further when she'd already been through so much.

Lacey cried, quietly, as she placed an arm across Megan's stomach, too afraid to hold on tight and yet too afraid not to hold her at all.

If her mother felt any discomfort, it didn't show as she leaned her head forward, placing a ghost of a kiss on Lacey's head before sinking back into her pillow. She blinked slowly once, then twice, her eyes moving towards the ceiling as she held her daughter close to her body.

"You're tired," the three adults heard Lacey whisper quietly, as if she and her mother were the only ones in the room.

"I'm okay," Megan spoke slowly, wincing slightly as if the merest effort to speak caused her discomfort.

Lacey looked up, her eyes meeting her mother's, "Sleep. It's okay. You can sleep."

Megan managed the smallest of smiles as she felt her daughter's body against hers but even then, her eyes began to droop. She tried to stay awake, tried to fight the lethargic feeling that threatened to pull her deeper and deeper into unconsciousness. She was tired, hazy and barely able to stay awake but holding Lacey felt more important somehow, as if she was afraid if she drifted away, she would lose what was most precious to her in that very moment. She didn't want to let go, she couldn't.

But the girl must have known what her mother needed more than she did then.

"Sleep," Lacey whispered, her arm tightening by a fraction around her, "I'll protect you."

And somehow, as her eyes drifted closed, Megan believed her.

-o0o-

"You gotta be kidding me."

Detective Sam Baker stopped walking, catching her partner on his phone, "Jeannie alright?"

"She's fine…exhausted herself enough to sleep," Bud muttered, "I just got a text from Kate. Polley's in the building."

"What?" Peter asked, stopping dead in his tracks just as they neared the elevator, "_Here_?"

"It makes sense," Sam muttered, pressing the button to the elevator to summon it to their floor, "It's the closest and he caught a bullet. I'd let the bastard bleed out, but those medics don't like carryin' dead bodies in their trucks."

"I clipped him, that's it," Peter practically snarled, "They should have patched him up and thrown his ass in a cell."

Bud shrugged, "You got a good shot in, winged him maybe and he probably lost a lot of blood. They're throwing him back in his cage first thing tomorrow."

"Should have killed him," Peter ground out, glancing at the opposite side of the hallway. He wasn't entirely sure where they were at the moment, not realizing just how far he had wandered off earlier before Bud and Sam found him.

Bud glanced at Sam before shaking his head, "Don't even think it Peter. We're didn't lose Megan and we're not losing you over this."

"What?" Peter turned to the older man, scowling. "I didn't say anything."

"Yeah, but I know what you're thinking," Bud shook his head, "It's not worth it. You're a cop, you know how this goes. We do this by the book or everything gets screwed up."

"We did everything by the book today, yesterday and every damned day," Peter said, his tone hard, "They did everything by the book three years ago. Hell, _everything_ was done by the book—isn't that why Polley managed this whole mess in the first place? He followed the book, Bud, he followed it and manipulated it so it looks like someone screwed up."

"Yeah and he almost succeeded, _almost_," Bud answered, "And as pissed as I am, I'm telling you, let it go. He screwed up and this time, there won't be any other way for him to pull something like this again—he's over, Peter. He's done."

"He's alive," Peter pointed out, "He's alive and that's not over, not to me."

"Peter," Sam said as the doors of the elevator opened, "Listen to Bud. Just walk away, alright? You go after him, you do something stupid, it's over_ for you_. And that's not going to help Megan at all."

The medical investigator stared at the two detectives, his features growing harder with each moment. He stood there, rooted on the spot, his mind running at full speed, his emotions blurring the lines so much, he wasn't even sure if they were still there to begin with. That, and he wasn't sure he cared anymore. Too much had happened that night, too much too fast and it was leaving his senses and his rational side dangerously frayed.

It would be so easy, he thought darkly, all it would take was another bullet.

"Peter," Sam said, her eyes growing dark with warning, "No."

"Think it through," Bud said quietly, "Because this is not going to end well. We're not letting you do anything stupid."

And right there, it was like a standoff, the three of them in front of the open elevator, each second ticking by as they waited each other out. Whoever made the first move would determine what would follow next and the two detectives were willing to do whatever it took to make sure they weren't failing for the second time that night.

They understood what Peter was feeling, what he was going through, especially after the things Aiden Wells had said and while they could relate, while they shared some, if not all, those feelings, they could not let him do what the three of them were each wishing they could do. It would be easy, yes, easy to eliminate the source of all the pain, all the suffering and all the guilt, but what would follow after it would be chaos and nothing close to ever being possibly easy. In fact, it wouldn't even come close to solving anything and rather, just spurn a new set of troubles to deal with. In the long run, taking this particular road was not going to be as easy to clear up as the current ones they were facing at the moment.

"Think of Megan," Bud said, "This isn't what she needs. This isn't what she would want."

Behind them, the elevator began to ring, indicating that the doors had been left open too long. Sam pressed the button again, stopping it but only for a moment. The ringing would return shortly, as it was programmed to do so.

Peter stared at Bud for a moment before shaking his head, waving his hand before nodding, "Fine."

Bud glanced at Sam who nodded, stepping into the elevator, followed closely by the two men. Peter stood in between them, not reacting as the male detective clapped him on the shoulder when the doors began to slide close.

He barely gave the man two seconds before slipping from under his supportive hand, rushing from between the sliding doors at the last second.

"Peter!"

He felt someone yank him back hard and suddenly, for the second time that night, he was back against a wall. Only this time, it was Bud Morris inches away from him with a fierce expression on his steadily pinking face. The man was furious.

"Think about what you're planning to do," Bud said, pressing his shoulders against the wall firmly though curious enough, the grip didn't hurt as much as he imagined it would. "Go on, Peter, think it through. You wanna shoot the bastard dead? Should have done that when he was holding on to the doc. Right now? It's the stupidest choice you can make."

"I just—"

"Wanna see him?" Bud snorted, "Yeah, I get that. And you'll use your service weapon to say _hi_. You're not the first to feel like pulling something like this and believe me, no one's pulled it off successfully under _my_ watch. Know what else? You're not going to be the first."

Around them, a few nurses passing took notice, but Sam waved them off though both men didn't even notice the attention they were getting. Bud didn't care, not while he was busy trying to make sure he wasn't losing a team member tonight. He'd come close with Megan Hunt, he wasn't about to follow it up with her partner.

He knew Peter's intentions well enough because he'd been there as well, felt that thirst for vengeance when his first partner had been killed in the line of duty. He'd almost gone through with it too, if not for an old woman walking into the whole mess in the alley that night. Bud had been so close to pulling that trigger, he had already kissed his career and his life goodbye.

"I'm not letting you do it, Peter," Bud shook his head, "Either I break your arm or whatever the hell works, I'm doing it. You're not throwing your life away. Not for this."

Peter was far too into the darkest corners of his mind, not realizing until that moment how close he had been to actually doing something he didn't quite imagine himself capable of. But he _felt _it, saw himself coming face to face with Wilson Polley and shooting him dead right between the eyes.

"Bud—"

"You wanna do right by Megan? Get up there and pray she wakes up so you can apologize," Bud said, easing his grip on him slowly, "Trust me, it's easier doing it face to face than behind a Plexiglas window at State. I don't think Megan will find it a fun road trip visiting you in prison just so you can say you're sorry."

Peter's eyes met that of the older detectives, his hard gaze waning as Bud's words slowly pierced the darkness in his mind. He swallowed, unable to help the overwhelming feeling as if a weight was being lifted when he let his mind emerge from the dark cloud that had overtaken him at the mention of Polley being close by. He'd never imagined himself being capable of such violence, but there it was.

"Fine," he sighed, breathing heavily, "Fine…just let me go, Bud."

"You try to run again, I swear I'll shoot you."

"I know," Peter nodded, believing him entirely. "I…I wanna go see Megan."

"Okay, good. Because I gotta do the same so I can come home to my wife," he rolled his eyes, "I got kicked out of my own house and it's not even my fault this time. I got a bone to pick with the doc."

"You two done?" Sam asked, quirking an eyebrow at the two, not just for taking too long but for possibly forgetting she was even there in the first place. Men, go figure.

Peter gave her a somewhat sheepish look, "Uh, yeah."

"Good, now come on, before I kill you both myself."

Bud gave Peter a dirty look, "You and Megan…Jesus, who needs kids with you two around?"

-o0o-

The toll of the night's events and the medication was enough to keep Megan asleep.

And while Lacey had stayed curled up on the bed next to her, both Joan and Todd knew that as much as they wanted to allow the girl to continue to stay in the comfort of her mother's arms, they knew it wasn't the best choice for tonight. Lacey was tired and well beyond exhaustion, physically and emotionally spent, add that and her medical condition, she needed rest herself too.

That, and while Megan might not have felt it at the time with the pain medication running through her system, it was not ideal to let them stay prone together on the hospital bed. It wouldn't be comfortable for long, not with her injuries and the limited space. Difficult decisions needed to be made and it was taking the spent child from the mother she said she would protect, much as the two adults loathed to do so.

As expected, Lacey didn't consent to be taken away easily.

It took some effort and a lot of steeling within themselves as the girl clung to her mother and begged to stay, but eventually, Lacey agreed to go home. Her father had promised to call her school and tell her she won't be coming in so he could drive her to visit Megan first thing in the morning although even then, the girl had been torn.

Joan had been the one to come up with the best—and shamelessly manipulative—way to get Lacey to adhere to their decision. She had told her gently that her mother would want her to take care of herself knowing she couldn't at that moment. Lacey had balked then, paling and practically welled up all over again, most likely remembering the last fight she had with Megan though Joan had yet to know about that herself.

Lacey had clung on just a little bit tighter to her mother, nearly crying once more as she told her she would be back even though Megan was deeply asleep. She hugged her guilty grandmother tight before reluctantly leaving, her father's arms around her as they walked. Lacey looked back at her mother, not once letting her gaze waver until she was out of the room.

Joan felt bad for using the diabetes card on Lacey, knowing just how it affected not just her, but Megan as well, but she didn't let herself feel remorse too long. She wasn't wrong to think and say that, knowing while Megan was in her current state, she would still worry about her daughter immensely. It's what mothers did, after all, and with Megan, protecting Lacey was her main priority above all else. And Joan was honoring that, making sure her granddaughter was safe and healthy, if only to make sure nothing else would interrupt the recovery Megan was going to be needing in the coming days.

Unable to do anything but stare at her daughter, Joan sat next to the bed, taking the recliner Lacey had sat on earlier and took her daughter's hands in hers.

Even with the bruises on her face, Joan noticed that she'd never seen her daughter look so peaceful in a long time. Megan's features were relaxed, her brow untroubled and free from worry and thought. Her mother hoped sincerely she was the same in that endlessly-busy head of hers and could admit that if the medication was doing this, leaving Megan free if only for the few hours, then she didn't mind it one bit.

Megan deserved at least a few hours of rest, of freedom from whatever hell she was facing, knowing the rest of it will come roaring back once the reality comes back for her.

There were worse things to face come tomorrow.

She was so deep in thought, her mind not granting her the same respite her daughter was having, Joan missed the presence in the room.

"Mrs. Hunt?"

Looking up, she found both Kate Murphy at the threshold of the hospital room. She allowed them entry and almost stood, only to have the younger woman politely tell her she didn't have to. She could see the tiredness she felt reflected on the two people she hardly knew.

"Todd took Lacey home," Kate said, her voice quiet though her eyes were on Megan.

Joan nodded, "She wanted to stay, but…she needs her rest."

Kate nodded, "Of course."

"And you, Dr. Murphy?" Joan asked gently, "Your family must be worried by now."

"Uh, my family isn't here," Kate said, waving her hand slightly, "I just wanted to make sure Megan's okay. She…" she stopped, her eyes unable to leave her injured employee. "She looks peaceful."

Joan glanced at her daughter as well, "She does. She was awake, but I think the medication did its job for tonight."

"That's good," Kate nodded, "I just came by to make sure she's okay, but I'm afraid I have to go."

Joan nodded, "Of course. It's quite late…you didn't have to stay, but you did."

Kate managed a weak smile, "Megan…Megan's not always the easiest person to get to know, Mrs. Hunt, but she has become a friend. A good friend of mine. She's done things for me I probably won't be able to repay, the least I could do is be here for her."

The older woman smiled, "She might not show it, but she does appreciate it, Dr. Murphy."

"Kate," the blonde said, smiling back.

"Then I'm Joan," she replied, "Megan has moments when she calls me that, just to get my goat so I suppose you doing the same shouldn't be much of a problem."

Kate couldn't help but grin, "Alright. And that sounds a lot like Megan."

"She likes to tease, getting me riled up one way or another when she can," Joan shrugged, "I decided long ago that was her way of showing affection."

"If that's the case, then she's incredibly affectionate with people at the office," Kate replied, earning a chuckle from the woman. She could practically see the worry slowly melting off of the former Judge and felt a little buoyed by that—she couldn't help Megan but at least she was able to provide some lightness to Joan. It was something they all needed after tonight, she thought.

"That sounds like my daughter," Joan hummed with a faint smile.

"I...I have to go," Kate said, obviously sorry, as she checked her watch, "Tomorrow…well, things will need to be taken care of but I will be coming by again. Tonight, I think it's best she rests."

Joan nodded, "I'll let her know you've been a tremendous help."

Kate let out a silent chuckle, "I can only imagine what she draws from that."

"If she likes you, then not a lot of good and expect some choice remarks," Joan drawled.

The two women exchanged smiles, each grateful that somehow, despite the fact that they were practically strangers, they were at least able to provide some measure of comfort to the other. It was a bad night, but it helped to have some levity in the situation, knowing wallowing would only prove to be a hindrance in the process of moving on.

Because really, what else was there to do but move forward at this point? The least they could do, for themselves as well as Megan, was to be there for each other.

Kate took one last look at Megan, the lightness that had come to her eyes fading as she took in her stillness as she slept. It was unnerving to see her that way, to see her not moving, not speaking and not even twitching in the least. She was so used to seeing Megan Hunt animated, running all over the place, wreaking havoc, causing one ripple or another with barely a sentence or two in the world she inhabited, to see her suddenly prone like that made Kate feel as if she wasn't looking at the same woman.

It was Megan on the bed, Megan asleep, and yet, without the immaculate armor that consisted of the designer clothes, the devastating shoes and the acerbic wit, it might as well be a poor copy of the woman who seemed to make it her daily routine to get Kate clawing and climbing the walls after one pain in the ass move to another.

Kate hoped that it was only in appearance, that somehow, the stillness and the peace that surrounded Megan as she slept was indeed just due to the medicine. She couldn't imagine facing any other Megan, of having an altered woman waking up the next morning. Kate didn't want to imagine that, even though the woman was as exasperating as she was under her command.

She could take Megan the way she was, the way she'd always been—it was the possibility of a defeated one, a damaged one that scared Kate because then she wasn't sure if she would know how to handle her. You don't handle Megan Hunt with kid gloves, she wasn't a piece of glass and Kate wasn't sure she would even know how. She was too used to the Megan she'd come to know and grudgingly accept. Kate had long ago found she liked her like that.

But then, going through what she did the night before, Kate knew lesser things had happened to others that left them altered completely. She hoped Megan was stronger than that. She always believed the woman was strong, but she knew sometimes it only takes one moment to change everything. And god knew Megan went through a kind of hell Kate would not dare wish on anyone.

Telling Joan goodbye and promising to come back, Kate let herself out of the room, closing her eyes as she walked once her back was turned to the Hunt women. Seeing Megan that way, seeing the bruises, the damage, Kate knew it was going to take a long time before she would be able to stop seeing that image in her mind. It was one thing to look at crime scene photos of strangers, to have an anonymous body on her table—this was Megan, this was a friend of hers.

Kate remembered once more how her flame haired employee seemed to look smaller, somehow fragile when for every day the last three or so years, she'd been anything but. It was disconcerting for Kate to see her changed so dramatically in such short period of time. Was it only hours ago they'd promised to see each other at the party? It felt like another lifetime practically. Seeing Megan like that had shaken Kate right to her core, unable to unsee the bruises that had marred her friend's pale skin, the marks of the bastard had left on her body.

Tonight Kate was going home but she also knew well enough to give up on sleeping peacefully.

At this rate, she wasn't even sure if she would be able to sleep at all.

-o0o-

Aiden Wells is not particularly a religious man.

He can count in both hands the times he can actually remember being in church and for three of those, he was sure it was because someone died. He didn't come from a religious family and most of what he knew, he got from his old roommate from college who came from a big Irish Catholic family that produced about three sons who went into priesthood. What he knows, it probably isn't enough to save his soul or whatever the beliefs dictate.

But then tonight, he was feeling particularly desperate even though he'd seen Megan's daughter and ex-husband leave, as well as Dr. Corwin, who all had assured him she was going to be okay. Intellectually, he knew that, he knew she was going to be fine, but somehow, a part of him still found it hard to accept because even though he was alone there in the quiet hallway outside her hospital room, he could still hear and remember the sirens gathered outside the place where she worked. He'd been scared then, wondering if perhaps something had happened.

_Something_, but he didn't think then that she would be the one those sirens were for, that she was the one who the reports were declaring to have been seriously injured or killed by an escaped convict. That kind of news was hard to shake off, hard to flush out of your system.

How did it go? Aiden was sure he'd heard Liam at one point or another. Or did he hear these things somewhere else? He wasn't really a praying man.

_Our Father who art in heaven…_she should have told me…_Our Father…_the last time we talked on the phone…_hallowed be thy name_…why didn't she say anything?_...Our Father…_I should have come home sooner…_Thy kingdom come, thy…_she didn't talk, couldn't even make her laugh_…thy will…_something was wrong_…thy will…_Oh, god, just let Megan be alright_…thy will be done…_Megan, god, Megan_…Our Father…_please, be okay.

"Aiden?"

He straightened up from his slumped position against the wall, catching Kate as she stepped out, "Yeah?"

"I'm…" she stopped, glancing at the door she'd just closed, "I'm heading out, actually and I just…I'm sorry, would you like to come in?"

He stared at the woman, unsure of what to say, "Megan's mum?"

She gave him an understanding nod, "Oh…she's inside. She'll be staying the night, but if you want to go inside? See Megan? She's sleeping now, but you can, you know."

He shifted uneasily from one foot to another, "I…"

She touched him gently on the arm, "It's okay. I'm sure you've been wanting to see Megan since this whole thing started. We know you care about her and she cares about you too. Go on in, Aiden, it's alright. You've been patient enough."

"How is she?" Aiden asked, lowering his eyes to the ground before looking back at Kate again, "Is she…she's alright?"

"She's going to be okay," the doctor nodded. "She was lucky."

"I think luck doesn't even begin to cover it," Aiden mumbled, "But thank you, Dr. Mu—"

"Kate," she reminded him, "Now, go on inside. Being out in the hallway isn't the most comfortable place to be in tonight."

He nodded, "Alright…you're going home?"

"Yeah," she nodded, "I'll come back tomorrow, hopefully but I'm going to be needed at work for the whole thing back there."

"Are you sure you're okay to drive? I mean, I could drive you home or—"

"Oh, god," Kate couldn't help the laugh that escaped her lips, "No, no. I'm fine. Don't worry about me. You're sweet to offer, but I think you should be with Megan right now."

Aiden nodded, letting out a sheepish grin, "Yeah…yeah, you're right. I just…yeah, you're right."

"You're sweet," Kate chuckled, giving him a smile and patting him on the shoulder as she passed him, "Go see Megan."

He watched the doctor go, waiting until she was inside the elevators and gave him a wave before heading for the door. He wasn't sure but somehow, despite the overwhelming urge he'd been feeling to see Megan since finding out what happened, he couldn't help but feel a little scared of finally entering her hospital room.

The truth was, he'd grown to care about the woman a lot more than he originally thought he had. He knew he liked her, he knew he enjoyed her company, but after seeing the police cars, the crowd outside her office, the reports that were filtering through, it was as if it had blown everything into focus for him. Coming so close to losing her, finding out she'd been hurt—it clarified things for him in ways he hadn't expected.

Somehow, Aiden realized only then that night how much Megan Hunt had come to mean to him. He knew he cared for her, but he hadn't known just how much until he thought he had lost her. She had crept up on him now, so slowly, yet so much and so easily, that the thought of her hurting hurt him too.

Taking a deep breath, the Briton pressed his forehead against the door for a moment, closing his eyes and bracing himself for what lay on the other side.

He reminded himself she was going to be fine, that she was there and she was going to still be there in the morning. She had been lucky, Kate had said. He allowed that to be his security blanket for the moment, letting out the breath slowly and knocked once before opening the door.

There inside, he found Joan Hunt sitting beside her daughter's bed, watching her with an almost serene expression on her face. She hadn't heard him knock.

Carefully, Aiden entered, closing the door behind him and stood there. He was busy deciding what to do, it had taken Joan's eyes drifting towards him to alert her to his presence.

"Aiden," she spoke his name as if it was most familiar to her, as if they knew each other more than they actually did. Maybe they did, maybe not.

He wasn't sure what else to say, his eyes moving towards the bed. He couldn't see Megan's face, with Joan sitting there, but he couldn't mistake it was her on that bed. Right then, seeing what part of her he could, he suddenly wondered how he managed not to burst in earlier. He wondered how he could have stayed away because at that moment, all he wanted was to be next to her, to prove to himself she was indeed alright. He wanted to hold her.

But he controlled himself, reminding himself who was also in the room. His mother raised him well, after all, and the last thing he wanted was to unwittingly offend Megan's mother.

Aiden stood there and quietly cleared his throat before speaking, "I'd like to stay, if that's alright."

Joan gave him the merest tilt of her head, the corners of her lips curling upwards and nodding wordlessly before motioning him to come closer.

There wasn't much to say so instead, the two strangers shared the room, alert, awake and on guard. In time, they would get to know each other, depending on the future, but for now, they were going to share the common ground that had been laid before them. They were going to watch over Megan and make sure no further hurt would come her way.

Whoever dared would have to come through them both first that much was clear.

Sensing the strength in Joan and the fierce protectiveness he was feeling for her daughter, Aiden knew they made a formidable pair.

And hopefully that was enough, at least, for tonight.

-o0o-

_It was morning when she found herself stepping out of the elevator._

_On the Seventh Floor, she wasn't surprised to find that even at this time, people in lab coats and scrubs were already walking about with some carrying trays, some test tubes and some with iPads. Ahead on her right, she could see into the glass walls of her office. It was bathed with the morning sun and, as expected, it was empty. She wasn't surprised—nobody goes in or dares to linger there without her. People knew well enough to respect her privacy. Or they're just plain scared of her—either way, it works for her._

_Satisfied, she walked away, heading further down the hall. She had one destination in mind but that goal was momentarily put on hold as she spotted two familiar figures on the other side of the floor._

_It wasn't hard to miss Curtis and Ethan in a corner, talking although from the way things were looking, the deputy was doing most of it as the intern stood there with a glazed look in his eyes. Ethan looked about ready to bolt at the first chance, most likely just waiting for the opportunity and for a moment, she stood there deciding whether to rescue him or not._

_She watched as that pair of bespectacled brown eyes wandered off and away from Curtis and roamed the floor. For a moment, he looked in her direction and their eyes met._

_Megan smiled and waved a little._

_And as if he was seeing right through her, Ethan's eyes moved away with no reaction whatsoever, those glazed eyes moving away without even a flicker or a blink._

_She frowned, hand dropping to her side—what just happened? Ethan Gross was the essential lapdog: starved for attention and eager to be bent, twisted and flattened like a Play-Doh all in the name of science and learning. That and he was obviously desperate so it had surprised her he didn't come running as he always did. He obviously needed to get away from Curtis, so why not grab his chance now? _

_To be ignored by Ethan was out of character and for a moment, she wondered if somehow she'd done something to warrant the cold shoulder._

_She decided not and concluded to herself that maybe he'd been too far gone into one of Curtis' lectures and missed her. She shrugged to herself, moving on down the hall. She would deal with the younger man if there was anything that needed to be dealt with later._

_Entering the Autopsy Suite, she was somewhat surprised to have all the tables occupied with the bodies still covered in the all too familiar white sheets. By now, she expected other medical examiners of the floor to be working their own cases. She wondered if she missed something. Maybe she had._

_Moving down to the Morgue, Megan stopped, glancing up at the sign written in Latin above the doors before passing through. She rarely looked at that, but today seemed to be a day of oddities for her so she found herself making sure some things were at least where they should be._

_She entered the morgue, barely feeling the rise in temperature. It was colder there compared to the main office, the freezing temperature required to make sure the bodies stayed preserved. It used to bother her but now, it was just part of her life. Just another day at the office._

_Megan then realized, standing there, she had no idea why she had gone straight there in the first place. She found it odd nobody was working in the Autopsy Suite, shouldn't she be in there? She was sure there had to be a body waiting for her._

_She almost turned around, mentally smacking herself and wondering if perhaps maybe she was the odd one today._

"…_case number 5613."_

_Megan stopped, recognizing the voice instantly._

"_Date of birth…"_

_She would know that voice anywhere but she had to turn around to make sure._

_In the far corner, standing in front of a table with a body covered by a sheet was her mother. And she wasn't alone._

"_Mom?"_

"_Blunt force trauma to the back of the head," her mother said, completely ignoring her, speaking in an eerie monotone. Across from her was Kate, wearing a cream dress that worked perfectly as an outfit for the office as well as a date. That was not unusual._

_Her mother, on the other hand, was wearing a black robe not unlike the ones she used to wear in court—hell, it was the exact same robe. But Joan Hunt had lost out on re-election, why would she ever wear that thing again?_

"_Contusion on the temple and a laceration on one leg," Joan spoke to Kate and Megan had to wonder what the hell was going on. Did her mother have some kind of stroke and think she was an ME too? And what was Kate doing listening to her? What was her mother doing in the morgue at all?_

"_What's going on here?" Megan asked, frowning as she walked towards the two, slowly._

"_Defensive wounds, a lot of them," Joan sighed._

"_She put up a hell of a fight," Kate nodded somberly. "Anything else?"_

_Joan nodded, "Frontal and ethmoid nasal bones were…completely shattered."_

_Kate gave a solemn nod, "Same as the others."_

"_What?" this time, Megan didn't walk and instead moved towards the body and the two women. She reached for the sheet, but Kate beat her to it, holding on the edges closest to the head._

"_Dr. Kate Murphy attending with Judge Joan Hunt observing."_

"_What?" Megan practically screamed, looking from her mother to Kate, "What the hell is going on? What is wrong with you, Kate?"_

"_Ready?" Kate asked Joan._

"_Yes," her mother replied in the same monotone._

"_The hell you are!" Megan thundered, moving to shield her mother but it was too late._

_Kate lifted the sheet, unfazed by Megan's rage and her mother didn't move, standing there stoically in her robe with an expression that might as well have been carved out of stone._

"_Stop it! Kate, stop it!"_

_Megan had been so busy trying to make them listen, she barely thought to look at the body. Kate stepped back, looking down as she clasped her hands behind her and said, "I'm sorry, Mrs. Hunt…"_

"_What? What are you—" Megan looked at Kate then pivoted and looked at her mother who was looking down at the body. She turned, if only to see what had her mother so transfixed, "Mom, what—"_

_She stopped and found herself suddenly frozen, unable to do anything but stare._

_Red hair seemingly becoming more vibrant in contrast to the pale white skin—paler than usual, as it was with death—fanned out over the table. Bruises were visible along the cheek and temple, one side darker than the other. The blood had clotted, but the few areas of the skin that were left unmarred were a stark white, so white even the freckles seemed to disappear altogether._

_The dried blood was hard to miss though, ribboning grotesquely from the nose to the philtrum and over the closed pink lips, all the way down to the chin and neck. The hazel eyes, those familiar hazel eyes, were barely visible except for the hint of green that showed. It would be hard to determine post mortem without looking into official records, not with the pin pricks of blood dotting the sclera, obscuring further a reliable visual examination of the eyes._

_Megan began shaking her head, "No…"_

"_What did you do?"_

_Her head shot up, this time her mother was looking at her, "Mom…"_

"_Megan, what have you done?"_

_She stared at the body once more—stared at_ herself_ lying there with nothing but a sheet, dried blood and bruises to hide her modesty._

"_That-that's not me! I'm right here! I'm RIGHT HERE!"_

"_I'm sorry, Mrs. Hunt."_

_She whirled around at the blonde, "Shut up, Kate!"_

"_Megan."_

"_What the hell is going on?" she asked, staring at the face that was so much like hers yet so different—the woman on the table was dead, unmistakably dead, and she was standing right there, leaving it impossible for her mind to accept._

"_Mom, please, I—" she hadn't quite begged like this in front of her mother in a long, long time._

"_Oh, god," Joan gasped, looking past Megan so she turned too, wondering what the hell else there could there be._

_The sight in front of her left her heart plummeting, "No."_

_Everything else seemed to disappear._

_A sinister smile, "I always keep my promises."_

_Wilson Polley stood there, the Egyptian hook in one hand and the other on Lacey's shoulder as she stood in front of him, terrified with tears streaming down her face._

_She was shaking, petrified._

_Her own heart—her live heart—seemed to stop cold, "Lacey."_

"_M-mom?"_

"_Lacey, no…no. No!"_

"_Mom, help me...please, Mom!"_

"_Lace, it's going to be okay."_

"_Tsk, tsk, tsk, lying is bad, Dr. Hunt. Very, very bad."_

"_Wilson…no," she shook her head, reaching out, "Please, not Lacey. Not my daughter. Not Lacey."_

"_Yes, finally, she begs," he laughed then began shaking his head, "But I'm afraid it's too late." _

"_Wilson, no…no! Stop!"_

"_Mom!"_

"_It's been a pleasure, Dr. Hunt."_

"_No! No! No!"_

"_Precious Lacey," Polley pressed his nose on the back of Lacey's head and moved faster than Megan's mind could catch up with._

_And suddenly, blood was everywhere, the white tiles flooding in red then maroon then nearly black, creeping along in a steady stream, obscuring everything in its path._

_Megan ran, but suddenly found herself all alone._

"_Lacey?" she spun wildly, terrified, but she couldn't find her, "Lacey!"_

_Blood licked at her feet, every frantic step she took splashing the thick redness against her leg, seeping into her shoes, sticking to her skin. She slipped once, her hand falling into the crimson flood, covering her skin and drenching her clothes. She barely noticed._

"_Mom! Help me! Help me! Please, Mommy!"_

"_Lacey!"_

_Soaked to the skin in blood and nearly out of her mind, Megan ran and she looked, trying to follow her daughter's voice only there was nothing but blinding darkness. She kept running and she ran until she was spent, until she fell on her knees, crying desperately._

"_Lacey!"_

_The blood seemed to swallow her and the more she cried, curling up in herself, the more the dark seemed to creep in around her._

"_Mom…" and then nothing._

_And all she was left with was the blood and the echoes of her daughter's screams as she plunged into an eternal abyss._

Megan doesn't dream often, but when she does, sometimes they turn into nightmares.

And sometimes, they defy all reality in ways that might just be enough to break her.

-o0o-

In the end, the detectives decided it was best to wait until morning to see Megan.

They managed to get on the same elevator Kate was in, prompting her to make a note that somehow, she seemed to be pinging off everyone tonight on her way out. She stopped long enough to tell them the room Megan was in but the Chief was tired and it was late so if she had questions about the whereabouts of the trio, she didn't bother asking then and instead, bid them goodnight after giving them a rundown of what transpired during their absence.

It was then when they realized just how late it was. They'd spent more time trying to get each other to come up more than they thought and that only added to the restlessness Bud was feeling. And with Kate telling them Megan hadn't managed to fight off the effects of her medication, they all decided it was better to leave the visiting for the next day.

They certainly didn't want to be the ones to disturb their colleague's rest, knowing just how much she and her body needed it.

Bud left first, after more prompting from Sam who reminded him his pregnant wife was still at home. She needed him and even his partner could see he needed to be with her too, if only to assure himself that his wife and unborn child were alright. Sam knew in the middle of trying to get Peter's head together, Bud had been thinking of Jeannie.

"You heading home?" Sam asked after they saw Bud out. He was taking the Crown Victoria they had driven in but she was alright taking a cab back to the precinct for her personal vehicle.

"I think I'll stay," Peter said, looking at the elevators again.

"Peter…"

"I'll stay away from Polley," he promised, raising his hands in a sign of surrender.

"You better because I got Krakowski watching out for you," she gave him a look, "Listen, alright? Tonight's been pretty damned crazy and the doc's gonna need us. Take it easy."

"I'll stay on the same floor, I promise," Peter said sincerely, "After that thing with Bud, I really don't wanna push it."

Sam nodded, smirking, "Yeah, I'm not surprised."

It was always good to watch Detective Bud Morris in action, especially facing off against suspects and during interrogation, but it was a whole different ballgame when you were the one opposite the man in those moments. He was terrifying, to say the least, despite his love for opera and such things—they did nothing to diminish his masculinity and overall effect as an intimidating force. The man was a bear, matching size, stature and temper.

"What are you gonna do?" Sam asked, still quite hesitant to leave Peter after that night.

"I'm…going to wait," he shrugged, "Get some coffee—"

She gave him a look.

"For real this time," he emphasized, "And I'll…wait. I don't think I can leave the hospital tonight. Not yet."

Sam nodded, "Alright."

Peter bid her goodbye, heading back up to the floor where his partner's hospital room was in. He pulled a chair out from the waiting area, moving a few feet away until it was perfectly in line with the view of the door to her room. He sat down, only realizing then he forgot the coffee he was planning to get.

But he didn't want to get up and leave again so instead, Peter sat forward, his hands folded in front of him and elbows on his knees. On his hip, his service weapon nestled against his hip with its familiar weight. It was missing one bullet from the only shot fired that night and tomorrow, he would have to file the paperwork but tonight, he was going to take solace in having that weapon with him tonight. The coffee wasn't entirely important because after what happened, Peter knew the chances of sleeping for him were slim to none.

He wasn't going to go out looking for Polley in the building, but Peter also knew he wasn't about to leave his partner prone again like that. Too late, maybe, but he wasn't going to take chances, not anymore, not after tonight. And judging from his watch, Peter knew he still had some time before daybreak though he didn't care.

Peter sat there, watching the door. He barely felt tiredness creeping in, pulling from his training back from those years ago when he was a cop. He'd done a few stints involving stake outs and sitting on a somewhat comfortable chair in a well-lit hospital with a bathroom not too far away and coffee somewhere in the building, the conditions were considerably better than being stuck in a car for hours, sometimes even days, on end where going to a real restroom was not an option.

He felt someone nudge him on the shoulder.

Peter turned and saw a cup dangling in front of him.

He looked up and found Detective Sam Baker standing there with another cup of what was definitely coffee, "What are you doing here?"

"Meh, probably _not_ having a life," she shrugged, giving him both cups and moving past him. It didn't take long for her to emerge with a chair, a hard plastic one and positioned it next to Peter's though backwards. She threw one leg over the side and straddled it, taking one cup from him and rested one arm over the other on the back of the chair.

"Sam?"

"Yeah?"

"Shouldn't you be going home?"

"Shouldn't you be going home?" she tossed right back at him casually.

Peter glanced at the door a few feet away, shrugging as he removed the lid of his cup. He inhaled the rich aroma of what could only be incredibly good coffee, "Someone tried to kill my partner tonight."

Sam nodded slowly as she took a sip of her drink, "Yeah, well, you got to shoot a guy. I didn't. I get dibs on the next one."

"I already said I'm not going to go looking for Polley."

"And I'm saying I get to take the next shot," she huffed before shaking her head, "She's my friend too, Peter. She's your partner, but the doc's a friend."

He stared at her as she kept her eyes forward before nodding slowly and returning to his self-appointed vigil. In a low voice, he spoke, "Thanks, Sam."

"Just drink your damned coffee."

He chuckled, "Right. Thanks for that too."

She snorted, "Yeah, well, don't think this gon' be a thing with you and me. Get your own damned coffee next time, Dunlop."

He chuckled, nodding slightly, "Noted, Detective."

A nurse passed them by, noticing them watching the door before turning towards them again, "Visitors of Megan Hunt?"

"_Dr._ Megan Hunt," Peter pointed out.

"Mhm," Sam hummed at the same time he spoke.

The nurse read the chart she was holding, "She's been cleared and she's okay. You can come back tomorrow and visit, if you want."

It was clear she was giving them the go sign to head home.

Sam flashed her badge and tucked it right back in once the woman had a good look while Peter didn't move and instead, took a sip of his drink. They settled in their seats and stared at the nurse, not moving an inch and definitely making no sign that they were leaving to come back the following day as she suggested.

"Alright then, you have a good night, officers," she said after a beat, shaking her head before heading off, wisely deciding to let them be. Slowly, they both sipped their coffee and waited. They kept watch of the door, as they planned to do the rest of the night.

Both considered themselves lucky Detective Baker knew damned good coffee.

-o0o-

It was nearly four-thirty in the morning when he awoke to the sounds of rustling bedclothes.

Aiden had been sleeping on and off, never deeply because he found himself waking every now and then to watch Megan, if only to make sure she was resting. A nurse had come in earlier and provided two sets of pillows and blankets, promising the recliner wasn't an all too bad to sleep on. Aiden had politely declined when Joan offered it and told her to sleep instead.

Joan agreed, but reluctantly so and only after she made him promise he would wake her after an hour or two. He didn't and decided it wasn't entirely a bad thing to do, knowing the woman probably needed sleep after the night she'd had.

The cushioned bench wasn't entirely bad either, a bit cramped for space, but it was good enough. He actually liked it wasn't entirely comfortable, at least it was enough to prevent him from slipping into a heavy kind of sleep.

And it proved to be a good thing, considering what he woke up to then.

Megan had begun moving on the bed, kicking sheets and shifting in place. Aiden moved quietly but stealthily so he could be beside her and found she was whimpering and thrashing lightly, moving about as if trying to escape something.

"Megan?" he said, "Megan, what's wrong?"

Her eyes were wide open, but something told him she wasn't entirely awake, "Please…"

There were tears in her eyes, she was crying and it was enough to scare him enough to reach for the call button to summon a nurse, "Megan, are you in pain?"

"Please, please, not Lacey…not Lace…" a sob escaped her lips and she cried even more and the more she cried, the more he pressed the call button. Where the hell was that nurse? His alarm grew with each moment, caught entirely off guard by her state of being in distress.

"Megan, it's alright, Lacey's okay," he said and tried to touch her cheek but she moved quickly as if his touch had burned her. She tried to get up only to let out a loud painful cry and fell back on the bed, crying even more. The medication had to be fading then, he thought, realizing it must have hurt her to move.

Joan woke then, disoriented, "Me-Megan? What's going on?"

The nurse came in then but Aiden hadn't noticed as he tried to comfort her, running a hand over her hair and holding her hand gently even though he was at a complete loss on what to do. He didn't even know where he was allowed to touch her, worried he might just cause her more pain and further her distress, "It's alright, Megan, it's okay. Lacey is okay, she's with her father. She's alright."

"What's going on?" the nurse asked then, walking in and bypassing Joan who had gotten up as well though she stopped short of reaching for her daughter who was clearly upset.

"I-I don't know, she's upset, she woke up upset," Aiden answered, his hand still in Megan's hair as she lay there, crying, "She tried to get up, but I think she hurt herself."

"Megan," the nurse said, slipping in front of Joan who easily gave her space, "Megan, can you hear me? Are you in pain?"

She turned towards the nurse, "He's going to hurt Lacey. He's going to hurt my baby."

A look towards Aiden prompted him to immediately answered, "Her daughter. She's back home with her father. She's alright."

The woman nodded, turning back to Megan, "Lacey is just fine, Megan. She's with her father," she said, "She's fine."

"He hurt me," Megan sobbed, "He-he…"

"I know, I know," the woman's voice turned gentler, placing a hand on Megan's brow in a calming manner, "We're going to give you something for the pain, alright? When you wake up, you're going to feel better, okay Megan?"

She didn't wait for an answer and instead, reached for the morphine pump and then deftly pushed a few more buttons on the panel just above the bed. She turned to Megan, "You're going to be okay, Megan. Just go back to sleep."

"He…" Megan began, her voice softening before trailing off. "He's..."

Aiden reached out for her hand, kissing the back of her fingers before placing it against his cheek. He's never seen her cry and after that moment, he never wanted to again. It was painful, simply gut wrenching to see her that way. She seemed so vulnerable, so hurt, it tore right through him.

He had so much he wanted to say right then, but a darkened hospital room with her mother right across the bed was not the ideal place for that moment. He would need a better setting, something like the old bridge she took him to where she had her first real kiss. He needed a place where good memories could be made, not in a sterile, cold white hospital room, not when he wasn't even sure she knew who exactly was comforting her.

Not when in only a matter of hours, she was going to wake up and realize just what exactly happened, what nightmare she just came out of and face the reality that it had been real and she had survived though not without damage.

Instead, the most Aiden could muster was, "I'm here, Megan. You're safe."

She moved her head, turning towards the direction of his voice. She was calmer now and had managed to stop crying, leaving her tears to dry and her mind to try and make sense of her disorientated state, "A-Aiden?"

He smiled, pressing a kiss into her palm, "Hey."

She blinked slowly, her eyelids slipping down sluggishly and rose in the same pace, "…you're here."

"Yeah," he nodded, "I'm here, Megan, I'm here."

She blinked again, just as slowly, and then with a thick voice as if heavy from sleep, she slurred, "Aiden…"

"It's the medication," the nurse said when Megan didn't seem to be making any more attempts to speak, her eyes remaining closed. "Different patients react to them differently. Some have a hard time coming out of it, some feel disoriented, some get sick. Believe me, with her injuries it's good that she isn't vomiting, not in the condition of her ribs."

"She'll be alright, though?" Joan asked while Aiden his eyes never left Megan's face. She still looked troubled, but even that was fading as she slipped back into unconsciousness. He reached out and gently wiped her tears away with the slightest of touch, afraid to apply pressure on the bruises that marred her beautiful face.

The nurse nodded, "She will be. She most likely won't even remember this, which is just as well."

With that, she left, letting them know if anything else happened, to just call again. Aiden stayed beside Megan, watching her still and hoping the nurse was right that she wouldn't remember. He himself would try to forget even though he knew it was impossible. Seeing Megan crying like that had been enough to make him hurt, he didn't think he wanted to relive that experience again.

Aiden bent down, pressing a kiss on the top of Megan's head before setting her hand back down on the bed—albeit with great reluctance. He settled back on the bench and pressed his back against the wall, his eyes round and wide as the slight adrenaline jolt rushed through him. He was wide awake then with little chance that he would find enough peace to allow himself to slip back into even a light sleep. Across Megan's bed, Joan sank down onto the recliner, looking no better than he did.

"Oh, Megan," her mother said, reaching forward shakily and lacing her hand through her daughter's fingers.

Aiden turned away, leaning forward and planting his elbows on his knees as he buried his face in his hands. He couldn't get the image of Megan crying out of his head, her sobbing still very much fresh in his ears. It made him nearly sick with sadness for her.

There was pitifully little to say so they sat there, watching once more. Only this time, the chances of sleeping were incredibly scarcer than before.

By the time the sun rose and a new day had begun, both were still very much wide awake.

* * *

_In Loving Memory  
RPD 08-02-2012_

_Because he let me win once or twice at chess even when he said he didn't,  
The Cranky Old Bastard.  
_

___Love you, Pappy. _


End file.
